Lymphoma Masquerading as Tuberculosis of the Vertebra: Case Report and Discussion of Diagnosis

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the cause of tuberculosis (TB), a serious pathogen in many parts of the world. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), one-third of the world's populations suffer from TB. Since Iran is an endemic region for TB, many practitioners have focused their attention on this issue.

This study presents a patient who was misdiagnosed with TB due to the clinical symptoms of the disease and received the related treatment. But, the results of re-biopsy and immunohistochemistry tests approved the presence of Hodgkin's lymphoma in the patient.

In this case, the emphasis is on the differential diagnosis of Hodgkin's lymphoma of the spine and other masses. The possibility of an inflammatory process should always be considered alongside rare disorders such as lymphoproliferative to reduce the chance of putting the patient at the risk of disease progression and improper treatment course.