Clinical and Epidemiological Characteristics of Lymph Node Tuberculosis: A Retrospective Observational Study

Lymph node tuberculosis is the most common form of extrapulmonary tuberculosis and remains a diagnostic challenge due to nonspecific clinical manifestations and low microbiological confirmation rates. To describe the clinical, epidemiological, and diagnostic characteristics of patients with lymph node tuberculosis and to evaluate associations between clinical variables, lymph node localization, and short-term outcomes. A retrospective observational study was conducted including 66 patients diagnosed with lymph node tuberculosis. Demographic, clinical, histopathological, and microbiological variables were analyzed. Associations between categorical variables were assessed using Pearson’s chi-square or Fisher’s exact test, and age comparisons were performed using one-way ANOVA or Kruskal–Walli’s test. The mean age was 38.1 ± 11.6 years, and 54.5% of patients were male. Constitutional symptoms were present in 92.4% of cases, while cough was absent in most patients (92.4%). Cervical lymph nodes were the most frequently affected (48.5%). Caseating granuloma was identified in 7.6%, and mycobacterial culture was positive in 27.3%. Significant associations were observed between lymph node localization and sex, constitutional symptoms, and histopathological findings (all p < 0.001). Lymph node tuberculosis predominantly affects young adults and presents mainly with systemic symptoms and cervical lymphadenopathy. Despite limited diagnostic confirmation, short-term outcomes were favorable.