TB lymphadenitis with a painful (scrofula?)

[clearsaga]

I undergo an excision biopsy last december in the supraclavicular because I noticed a small lump. The result was TB lymphadenitis. 2 weeks after the operation, a painful large scrofulous lump is growing in my suprasternal notch. Then I undergo an operation again to drain that and to have a biopsy of the liquid. The result was "giant-multinucleated-cells" and no mention of TB at all. Then after just 1 month, it began growing again under the last scrofulous lump. I'll be drained again next week the doctor said. I'm very tired of this. I'm taking 3 Myrin-P forte everyday and it seems to get worse everyday. It's very painful like I never experienced before in my whole life. I researched that scrofula is not painful at all. I live at the Philippines where you can't trust most professionals. Is that "Giant Multi-Nucleated Cells" really from tuberculosis? Is it really scrofula which can be cured with antituberculosis?

[mkh9]

Yes. Did you ever get a positive culture, xray or skin test?  Are you responding to the drugs? It can be transmitted or transferred to others in the household especially children. Because childrens immune system is low. Have you been on the antibiotics long? Have they taken a recent aspiration of the scrofula?  If it was negative it may be ok. But I would ask the doctor to be sure. All of you should get a quantiferon gold skin test if you have been around around this person. Have you all had the BCG vaccine? if not you could get the PPD skin test. Another thing to think about for the person that has the scrofula is that often the scrofula came from a lung infection with TB that spread to the neck or where ever the scrofula was found.and until that is cleared up the person is infectious. They should have done a chest Xray, skin test to start with on that person. They would then do cultures of the sputum if the Xray or the skin test were positive. If these were positive they could tell if it had spread. If the cultures were negative to start with then they could remove the first scrofula. Usually, it won't grow back but if they never did the culture to start with it could. Sometimes it can any way.
mkh9

[Marie0503]

Is scrofula contagious? Do we need to quarantine a 2 yr old patient?

[mkh9]

The multinucleated giant cells come up when you have an infection. So the TB in the lymph node or scrofula is causing these cells as they help fight off infection. Yes if you folllow the TB treatment (usually 4 antibiotics) exactly as they say you should have a complete recovery. But it takes a long time.
take care