Outcome of lymph node tuberculosis management with conventional treatment with and without prednisolone.

The outcome of lymph node tuberculosis (LNTB) management with conventional anti-tubercular treatment alone is unsatisfactory. We conducted a randomised open-label controlled clinical trial in the Department of Respiratory Medicine in Government Institute of Dhaka, Bangladesh from April 2017 to March 2019. Compared with controls, 54 patients of LNTB received category 1 anti-tubercular treatment with additional prednisolone after randomisation. Complete resolution in 21/54 (75%) and 7 (26.9%), symptomatic improvement in 26 (92.9%) and 22 (84.6%) and complications in 11 (39.28%) and 16 (61.53%) were observed in the treatment and control group, respectively. Thus, we recommend the use of steroids in this setting.