[A clinical case of occupational cutaneous tuberculosis in the healthcare field].

Abstract

Cutaneous tuberculosis is a rare extrapulmonary pre-sentation of tuberculosis, caused by mycobacterial species of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. We describe a case of cutaneous tuberculosis in a 57-year-old technician from the microbiology laboratory in our hospital. She accidentally experienced a needlestick injury with a hollow needle while at work. Skin lesion developed shortly after on the punctured finger. A biopsy was performed, revealing necrotizing (caseating) granulomatous inflammation. Pharmacological treatment was initiated with four standard drugs: isoniazid, rifampicin, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol hydrochloride. Improvement was observed, but the initial treatment had to be suspended due to intolerance to some of the drugs and changed to a treatment with isoniazid, rifampicin, and levofloxacin. The long duration of the treatment may increase the risk of toxic effects, making it necessary to discard the drug causing these effects and change the treatment regimen.