Tuberculous Abscess of the Thyroid Gland: A Case Report and Review of the Literatures

There is at the present time little amount of literature on tuberculous infection of the thyroid gland by numerous surgeons with extensive experience in thyroid surgery. In literature, Rokitansky⁶⁾ stated that tuberculosis of the thyroid gland was nonexistent, while Virchow assumed it to be extremely rare.

With the advent of thyroid surgery, case reports of tuberculosis of the thyroid gland began to appear in the literature, the diagnosis having been made in the majority of cases on the basis of extensive microscopic examinations of surgically removed goiters. Since then, case reports have been given a number of clinicians and at the present time the total number of recorded cases of tuberculosis of the thyroid gland is over 150 cases²⁾⁷⁾. But a recent monograph on thyroid devotes one sentence to this condition by referring the reader to old textbooks.

Author is to report a case of tuberculous abscess of the thyroid gland, together with review of the world literature.