Clinical and epidemiological characterization of patients with cutaneous tuberculosis treated at a referral center in the Brazilian Amazon: case series.

Abstract

Background: Cutaneous tuberculosis is a rare form of the disease that defies diagnosis due to the diversity of clinical presentations. This study was based on the reality of a dermatology referral center in the Brazilian Amazon region to detail several characteristics of this disease.

Objective: To describe a series of cases of cutaneous tuberculosis treated at a dermatology service in the Brazilian Amazon region, addressing epidemiological aspects, clinical forms, diagnostic methods, treatment, and outcomes.

Methods: This is a descriptive and observational study of the case series type, including eight patients with a confirmed diagnosis of cutaneous tuberculosis seen between 2021 and 2023. A standardized protocol was used to collect data from patients' medical records.

Results: Among the eight cases of cutaneous tuberculosis, there were four cases of erythema induratum of Bazin, one case of tuberculosis verrucosa cutis, two cases of scrofuloderma, and one case of lupus vulgaris. Erythema induratum of Bazin, the most common form in the study, occurred predominantly in women, presenting as infiltrated plaques and erythematous nodules. All eight cases were treated with the standard therapeutic regimen of the Brazilian Ministry of Health (rifampicin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol).

Study limitations: They include the small sample size, making generalizations difficult.

Conclusions: The study addressed the clinical diversity of cutaneous tuberculosis, with erythema induratum of Bazin as the most common form. The importance of the socioeconomic context in the prevalence of the disease and the need for more comprehensive epidemiological studies to improve the understanding of cutaneous tuberculosis, especially in endemic regions, are highlighted.