Pleural Tuberculoma Presenting as a Solitary Pleural Mass in a Child

Pleural tuberculoma is often observed during treatment for tuberculous pleurisy; however, this condition is rarely found as a solitary pleural nodule in patients without a history of tuberculosis treatment, and no cases have been reported in children. We report a case of a 12-year-old boy with pleural tuberculoma presenting as a solitary mass. He had a fever and cough that prompted chest radiography, which revealed a mass in the right lung. Symptoms improved with antibacterial medication; however, computed tomography (CT) revealed a 4.5-cm pleural mass that partially bordered the ribs. CT-guided biopsy revealed a necrotizing granuloma, but the real-time polymerase chain reaction result for Mycobacterium tuberculosis was negative. Malignant diseases, such as osteosarcoma, could not be ruled out; thus, surgical resection was performed, and pleural tuberculoma was diagnosed. The patient was treated with antituberculosis drugs for 6 months, and no recurrence was observed in the following 2 years. Pleural tuberculomas should be considered in the differential diagnosis of solitary pleural tumors, especially in countries where tuberculosis is endemic.