Amylynne Frankel, MD; Carolin Penrose, MD; Jason Emer, MD
Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Department of Dermatology, New York, New York

Abstract
Cutaneous tuberculosis occurs rarely, despite a high and increasing prevalence of tuberculosis worldwide. Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mycobacterrium bovis, and the Bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccine can cause tuberculosis involving the skin. Cutaneous tuberculosis can be acquired exogenously or endogenously and present as a multitude of differing clinical morphologies. Diagnosis of these lesions can be difficult, as they resemble many other dermatological conditions that are often primarily considered. Further, microbiological confirmation is poor, despite scientific advances, such as the more frequent use of polymerase chain reaction. The authors report a case that illustrates the challenges faced by dermatologists when considering a diagnosis of cutaneous tuberculosis. (J Clin Aesthetic Dermatol. 2009;2(10):19–27.) Read the rest of this article »