A Rare Case of Tuberculous Thyroiditis Mimicking as Follicular Neoplasm
by Dr. Aishwarya Chavarkar, Dr. Chinmay Dake, Dr. Mihir Bairat, Dr. Snehal Rane
Published: June 17, 2026 • DOI: 10.51244/IJRSI.2026.1305000282
Abstract
Background: Thyroid tuberculosis is an exceptionally rare extrapulmonary manifestation of tuberculosis, even in endemic regions. It can mimic thyroid malignancy both clinically and on investigation, presenting with a painless neck swelling and constitutional symptoms like weight loss.
Methods: A 53-year-old female presented with a progressive neck swelling and significant weight loss. Evaluation included clinical examination, thyroid ultrasound, contrast-enhanced CT neck, fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC), and biochemical tests. Due to a high suspicion of malignancy (Bethesda IV cytology and elevated thyroglobulin), the patient underwent a right hemithyroidectomy. The definitive diagnosis was made through histopathological examination of the surgical specimen and confirmed with a GeneXpert MTB/RIF test.