Open AccessLupus Vulgaris: A Diagnostic Challenge
Author(s) -
Hisabella Lorena Simões Porto,
Isabela Alves Guerra,
Barbara Figueiredo Bastos,
Marina Ferreira,
Marcelino Pereira Martins Neto,
Maria Christina Marques Nogueira Castañon
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
revista da sociedade portuguesa de dermatologia e venereologia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2182-2409
pISSN - 2182-2395
DOI - 10.29021/spdv.79.1.1284
Subject(s) - lupus vulgaris , differential diagnosis , tuberculosis , histopathology , medical diagnosis , medicine , systemic lupus erythematosus , dermatology , extrapulmonary tuberculosis , mycobacterium tuberculosis , cutaneous tuberculosis , pathology , immunology , disease
Lupus vulgaris is a clinical variant of cutaneous tuberculosis, a rare subtype of extrapulmonary infection caused by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. A paucibacillary form associated with high degrees of immunity, predominantly in the face, may present several clinical and histopathological differential diagnoses, which makes its diagnosis challenging. We present a case of lupus vulgaris in an immunocompetent patient, whose initial clinical presentation and histopathology did not suggest the condition. The objective is to highlight the relevance of the hypothesis of cutaneous tuberculosis as an important differential diagnosis, especially in endemic areas.