Multifocal tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB) is a contagious infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, also known as Koch's bacillus (BK). With nearly 9.6 million new cases each year and more than 1.5 million deaths annually, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), it remains a public health problem for a large portion of the world's population. Despite the global decline in the incidence of this disease, morbidity and mortality remain high in developing countries, due to a high prevalence of HIV coinfection and the emergence of drug-resistant strains of BK (1). Multifocal tuberculosis (MFT) is one of the severe forms of the disease. It is defined by involvement of two noncontiguous extrapulmonary sites, with or without pulmonary involvement. It is rare, accounting for 9 to 10% of extrapulmonary TB cases. It is primarily seen in immunocompromised individuals, mainly those infected with HIV, but it is increasingly affecting immunocompetent individuals.