Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis Presenting as a Testicular Mass: A Case Report

BACKGROUND: Extrapulmonary drug-resistant tuberculosis is extremely rare and is almost always associated with poor treatment outcomes. This is partly due to the difficulty in confirming the diagnosis. CASE PRESENTATION: A 40-year-old HIV-negative male presented with a painless scrotal mass, low-grade fever, general malaise, night sweats, and no pulmonary symptoms. He was initially treated for malaria with no improvement. His final diagnosis was rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis following Xpert(®) MTB/RIF Ultra (Xpert-Ultra) assay performed on a fine needle aspirate of the scrotal mass. Second-line anti-tuberculosis medication was initiated, and the patient is being followed up with directly observed therapy. CONCLUSION: With the scale-up of Gene-Xpert technology, this case raises awareness about tuberculosis masquerading as a testicular mass and the possibility of extrapulmonary drug-resistant tuberculosis in high endemic areas.