A total of 105 patients with peripheral
lymph node tuberculosis were treated by either surgical excision and
chemotherapy or
chemotherapy alone. The cervical nodes were affected in 98 patients, axillary nodes in four and inguinal nodes in three. Biopsy of the lymph nodes confirmed the diagnosis in all cases. Thirty-five patients who had sinus,
ulcer or
abscess underwent excision of the lymph nodes with drainage of the
abscess, or resection of the sinus or
ulcer. The remaining 70 patients received only
chemotherapy.
Chemotherapy in all patients consisted of
isoniazid and
ethambutol for 18 months. Of the 35 patients treated with surgery and
chemotherapy, two had gaping
wounds, one
infection and one
cellulitis of the face and neck. After 3 months, one patient had recurrence of the lymph node mass and one recurrence of a sinus; these were excised. Of the 70 patients treated only with
chemotherapy, 13 were lost to follow-up. Four had non-healing
wounds at the biopsy site, six
wound infection and two sinus formation. Five of these patients had persistent lymph node masses, which were excised after 3 months. The remaining 52 patients had no recurrence.