Tularemia: A rare cause of pediatric lymph nodes adenitis

Abstract

Adenopathy in pediatrics can have many different causes: infectious, tumoral, and inflammatory. We report the case of an 8-year-old patient with a febrile popliteal ulceration associated with an inflammatory satellite inguinal lymph node adenitis. Serological tests and polymerase chain reaction analyses confirmed the diagnosis of ulceroglandular tularemia. An appropriate antimicrobial therapy led to a full recovery. This case reminds us to consider tularemia as a potential emergent disease in children presenting with subacute to chronic lymphadenopathy and thereby to choose the correct diagnostic tool and appropriate antimicrobial therapy.

Keywords: Case report; Lymphadenopathy; Tick; Tularemia; Zoonosis.