Tuberculous lymphadenitis presenting with cutaneous leucocytoclastic vasculitis.

Cutaneous leucocytoclastic vasculitis is an inflammatory vascular disorder due to deposition of immune complexes in dermal vessels. A direct or indirect role of infectious agents in the pathogenesis of such vasculitis has been postulated. We describe a patient with cervical lymphadenitis due to Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection who developed cutaneous vasculitis. The vasculitis resolved with standard antituberculous therapy. The association between leucocytoclastic vasculitis and tuberculous infection has only rarely been reported. Tuberculous infection may present in a number of different clinical forms depending in part on variations in the number and virulence of the bacilli, route of infection, presence or absence of an internal tuberculous focus, age and specific immunity of the host. Although the association between infection and vasculitis is well known, Mycobacterium tuberculosis as a causative agent of cutaneous leucocytoclastic vasculitis is uncommon.