INTRODUCTION 2

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB). Its a tubercle bacillus.TB is an ancient disease.

1 of 3 individuals on this planet is infected with tubecle bacillus, the incidence of cutaneous TB appears low.

In areas such as india and china,where TB prevalence is high, cutaneous manifestations of TB(overt infection or tuberculids) are found in less than 0.1% of individuals seen in dermatology clinic.

 

In a 10 year(1983-1992)retrospective survey of patients seen in governmental dermatology clinics in Hong kong, the detected incidence of cutaneousTB among patient was 179 per 267,089(0.07%).Among patients with cutaneous TB,15% had classic cutaneous TB(approximately 5% of each of lupus vulgaris,TB verrucosa cutis and scrofuloderma) and 85% had tuberculids

 

 In a tertiary care hospital in northern india,0.1% of dermatology patients seen in1975-1995 had cutaneous TB . Lupus vulgaris was the most frequent manifestation 53%, followed by scrofuloderma 27%,TB verrucosa cutis 6%,tuberculous gumma 5% and tuberculid 7%. 

the incidence of patients with cutaneous TB seen from 1980-1993 in a hospital dermatology clinic in madrid was 16(0.14%) in 10,304.