Tuberculous lymphadenitis.

A total of 43 episodes of tuberculosis lymphadenitis were treated in 32 adult patients. In 12 instances the affected lymph node was excised without any chemotherapy; there were 10 relapses. The treatment was local excision of the affected lymph nodes together with antituberculosis chemotherapy with at least two drugs in 30 instances; there were no relapses following such therapy.Presumably patients with tuberculosis lymphadenitis are still sometimes treated with surgery alone because that was at one time the orthodox line of surgical teaching. Such a view is out of date: these patients should always be given antituberculosis therapy in addition to any surgical measures.