Orbital tuberculosis mimicking an ocular malignancy: a  case report

Lily Gloria Tagoe; Valerie Shamwun Mainsah; Adwoa Kumiwa Asare Afrane; Hafisatu  Gbadamosi; Lawrence Edusei; Serwaa Acquah; Lorna Awo  Renner; Catherine Idara Segbefia

doi:10.46829/hsijournal.2023.12.4.2.577-581

Lily Gloria Tagoe Department of Child Health, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana
Valerie Shamwun Mainsah Department of Child Health, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana
Adwoa Kumiwa Asare Afrane Department of Child Health, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana ; Department of Child Health, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana Medical School, Accra, Ghana
Hafisatu Gbadamosi Department of Radiology, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana
Lawrence Edusei Department of Pathology, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana
Serwaa Acquah Department of Ophthalmology, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana
Lorna Awo Renner Department of Child Health, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana; Department of Child Health, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana Medical School, Accra, Ghana
Catherine Idara Segbefia Department of Child Health, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana; Department of Child Health, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana Medical School, Accra, Ghana

DOI: https://doi.org/10.46829/hsijournal.2023.12.4.2.577-581

Keywords: orbital tuberculosis, orbital mass, ocular malignancy

Abstract

Background: Tuberculosis (TB), a multi-systemic disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is associated with a high burden of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The diagnosis of TB in children is challenging, particularly when it presents in rarer sites such as the eye. We present a case of a female Ghanaian toddler with a right orbital mass which mimicked an orbital malignancy and was confirmed as TB on histopathology. This case report highlights the need for a high index of suspicion for TB among children who present with orbital masses, especially in TB-endemic regions.