Tuberculosis of Frontal Bone—A Rare Entity: Case Report and Review of Literature

Abstract

Abstract Tuberculosis of the frontal bone is a rare entity, most commonly occurring in childhood. In situations of painless scalp swelling coupled with or without a discharging sinus that has not responded to antibiotics, a strong index of suspicion must be raised. Generally, conventional radiography and computed tomography are used for establishing the diagnosis along with microbiological confirmation. We present an interesting case of a young boy who presented with a 2-month-old bone lesion in the frontal scalp, accompanied by mediastinal lymph node involvement. Histopathology revealed tuberculous origin and successful antitubercular therapy resulted in significant improvement within 3 months. The calvarial bones can rarely be affected by tuberculosis, which can present with swelling, sinus discharge, pain, or in rare cases as blindness. Prompt diagnosis of this disease is needed as it is potentially curable and has an excellent prognosis. The cornerstone of treatment is antitubercular therapy, while surgical intervention may sometimes be required. Our case highlights the importance of keeping tuberculosis as a differential at the back of the mind when dealing with scalp swellings, particularly in children.