Skin Tuberculosis is a Severe Chronic Disease

Tuberculosis of the skin has a complex etiology and pathogenesis. In total, four types of such mycobacteria are distinguished: avian, bovine, cold-blooded and human. For man, only the human and bovine type is dangerous. Such a skin lesion is quite a rare occurrence among dermatoses, but recently there has been an increase in the incidence.

To conditions conducive to the development of this disease include: pathologies of the nervous system, hormonal dysfunction, vitamin imbalance, disorders of mineral and water metabolism, circulatory disorders (venous congestion), poor climatic and social conditions, various infectious diseases. These factors significantly reduce the protection of the body and increase its susceptibility to mycobacteria tuberculosis. They penetrate the epidermis in a variety of ways. It is quite easy to get infected through damage to the skin from the patient or his belongings.

There is another way of infection. Tuberculosis of the skin can occur when the pathogen penetrates the skin lymphogenically or hematogenously from a focus of tuberculosis located in other organs.

With this disease in the skin, infectious cell granulomas are detected, which are surrounded by lymphocytes. It is also characterized by signs such as caseous necrosis, the presence of huge Langhans cells, the presence of mycobacteria in the central part of the granuloma. Tuberculosis, the definition of which most often occurs histologically, requires careful treatment.

The most common form is tuberculous lupus. Such skin tuberculosis, the symptoms of which are characterized by the appearance of soft, specific tubercles (lupus), having a pink color with clear boundaries (up to 3 mm in size), is most common in women. Lupomas are an infectious granuloma. They grow and merge, after which there are continuous foci of disease (flat form). Gradually, the lupoma is fibrotic. In the course of this process, cicatricial atrophy occurs. There is also an ulcerative form of the disease, in which there is an exudative process and lupomas ulcerate. There are superficial, easily bleeding ulcers with uneven, soft edges. There are also verrucous and tumor-like forms of lupus. Usually rashes appear on the face, but can be located in other places. Often the mucous membranes of the palate, gums, lips and nose are affected. Vulgar lupus is characterized by a long and sluggish course. With it, complications may occur with the development of lupus carcinoma.

Collicative tuberculosis of the skin is the second most frequent form of the disease. The rashes are malo-painful, dense, located in deep layers of the dermis and rapidly growing in the bulk of the nodes. They can reach a diameter of 5 cm. The skin above the nodes has a cyanotic shade. Over time, the nodes soften, a cold abscess occurs, after which they break through with the release of bloody contents. Ulcers with soft margins are formed on the site of the nodes. Healed ulcers leave scars that have an irregular shape. Most often affects the neck, less often - limbs.

Tuberculosis of the skin is indurative, miliary-ulcerative, lichenoid, warty, papulonectrotic, are forms of secondary tuberculosis, because they develop against the background of other foci of this infection in previously ill people with this disease.

Primary forms are rare, since newborns are being vaccinated. Diagnosis of the disease is based on the history, clinical picture, the results of tuberculin samples, culture and histological examination.

With such a disease as tuberculosis of the skin, treatment is reduced to the following actions: tuberculostatic chemotherapy, increased immunity, improved metabolic processes. Tuberculostatic drugs include: isoniazid, protionamide, streptomycin, pyrazinamide, rifampicin, ethambutol, florimycin, kanamycin.