Systemic tuberculosis presenting as parotid abscess: Case report

Objectives: Tuberculosis (TB) parotitis is a relatively uncommon presentation and can easily be missed as the first sign of systemic TB. The objective of this report is to describe a case that illustrates the importance of consideration of mycobacterial causes of parotid abscess. Methods: A single institutional case report with chart review and review of the literature. This study was exempt from the Institutional Review Board of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Results: We present the case of a Bangladeshi female with a parotid abscess that was drained and cultured with no organisms identified on gram stain or bacterial culture. The patient's wound drainage improved on antibiotic therapy but did not fully resolve. Six weeks after presentation, she decompensated unexpectedly and, on extensive workup, was found to have systemic TB. Conclusion: This case highlights the difficulty encountered in identifying this rare presentation of systemic TB and the importance of early consideration and diagnosis of TB parotitis.