Scrofula, << SKROF yuh luh, >> is a term commonly used for an infection of the lymph nodes in the neck by tuberculosis. Doctors refer to this infection as chronic cervical tuberculous lymphadenitis. Lymph nodes are small masses of tissue that help the body fight disease by filtering out bacteria and other material. Much of the filtered material is destroyed in the lymph nodes by white blood cells called phagocytes. But some kinds of bacteria, including those that cause tuberculosis, are resistant. These bacteria remain and multiply in the lymph nodes, causing inflammation and swelling. Most cases of scrofula are caused by drinking unpasteurized milk from cows with tuberculosis. Pasteurization kills tuberculosis bacteria, so scrofula is rare in places where milk is pasteurized.
Scrofula occurs most frequently in young children. The infected lymph nodes of the neck swell gradually, and the patient may have no pain, fever, or other symptoms for months or years. Eventually, the infected lymph nodes may break open, releasing pus and causing sores on the neck that remain red and crusty after they heal.
Physicians diagnose scrofula by examining samples of infected tissue under a microscope and by growing bacteria from the infection in a laboratory. Most cases of scrofula can be cured with antituberculosis drugs, such as streptomycin, isoniazid, or rifampin.
