Abstract
A case is reported of a 52-year-old lady who presented with a swelling of the submental region of unknown aetiology mimicking a dental abscess. Following an excision biopsy of the lesion, the histopathology report revealed a mass of lymph nodes with granulomatous inflammation strongly suggestive of infective aetiology, most probably of mycobacterial (either tuberculosis or non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM)) origin.
Cervical lymph node enlargement due to NTM remains a diagnostic challenge because of the inconsistent reliability of clinical and laboratory findings. We discuss the significance of caseating granulomatous inflammation in cervical lymphadenitis and provide a brief overview of tuberculosis and a comparison with NTM.