Thyroid tuberculosis

Thyroid is a rare localization of tuberculosis, and should be considered in the diagnosis of nodular lesion of the thyroid gland except for the complicated forms with collection in which the fine needle aspiration showed the acid fast bacilli on Ziehl-Neelson stain (Koch bacilli) and/or granulomatous inflammation with caseation necrosis. We report the case of a 70 year-old woman referred to the hospital with a diagnosis of endothoracic goiter without clinical signs of tuberculosis. The diagnosis was established after total thyroidectomy and histological exam. Six-month treatment with three antituberculous drugs was administered with a good outcome.