[Cutaneous tuberculosis: two case reports and review]

Abstract

Cutaneous tuberculosis is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It is uncommon (1% of all cases of tuberculosis), but has increased due to the human immunodeficiency virus epidemic and to pharmacologic immunosuppression. It presents a wide variety of clinical forms depending on how bacteria reach the skin and on the immune status of the patient. We present two cases of cutaneous tuberculosis diagnosed in the Hospital Clínico de la Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. We emphasize the difficulty in diagnosis and classification of this disease and briefly discuss on the different diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.