Mycobacterium tuberculosis presenting as sternal osteomyelitis

A 54-year-old female presented with a presternal abscess and developed axil lary lymphadenopathy, Imaging confirmed the presence of sternal osteomyelit is. The osteomyelitis was cured by resection and muscle flap reconstruction . Although tuberculosis was suspected, the organism was only cultured after the fourth surgical procedure. Surgeons should be aware that negative micr obiology does not exclude a diagnosis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.