Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis by polymerase chain reaction in a case of orbital tuberculosis.

Orbital tuberculosis is quite uncommon. We report a case of orbital tuberculosis in a 3-year-old child from Bangladesh who presented with swelling and discharging sinus in the lower part of the orbit. Histopathology revealed a granulomatous inflammation with caseation necrosis. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) showed amplification of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis genome. The patient responded to a course of antituberculous treatment. Mycobacterium tuberculosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of inflammatory orbital disease in the Indian subcontinent where tuberculosis is prevalent.