Scrofula

A tuberculous infection of the skin on the neck caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Primary tuberculosis of the cervical lymph nodes; the inflamed structures being subject to a cheesy degeneration.

A tuberculous condition of the lymphatic glands characterized by enlarged suppurating abscess and cheese-like degeneration.

A form of tuberculosis in the lymph nodes in the neck, formerly caused by unpasteurised milk but now rare.

Form of tuberculosis characterized by abscess formation, usually in the lymph nodes of the neck.

The name formerly applied to tuberculosis. Scrofula, in current terminology, refers to a specific form of tuberculosis of the bones and lymphatic glands, seen especially in children.

Tuberculosis of lymph nodes, usually those in the neck, causing the formation of abscesses. Untreated, these burst through the skin and form running sores, which leave scars when they heal. Treatment with antituberculous drugs is effective. The disease, which is now rare, most commonly affects young children.

An old term for tuberculosis of the lymph glands in the neck. It is now rare in developed societies.

A form of extrapulmonary tuberculosis in which there is infection of the cervical lymph nodes. It is most common in children under age 15 and may be present without obvious disease in the lung. Like other forms of TB, it is treated with antitubercular drugs (e.g., isoniazid, rifampin, pyrazinamide).

Lymph node tuberculosis affecting the neck, particularly the nodes beneath the jaw angle, is known as scrofula. This condition is uncommon in developed nations. Administration of antituberculous medications usually resolves the issue in the majority of cases.