Summary

We report a rare case of acute, septic cavernous sinus thrombosis (SCST) caused by tuberculosis infection. The diagnosis of SCST was suspected and rapidly confirmed based on high fever, dramatic and typical signs of left cranial nerve paralysis and the result of digital subtraction angiography after the onset of the disease. However, the diagnosis of tuberculosis infection was missed, and the 55-year-old patient was treated with high-dose glucocorticoid, anticoagulants and a series of intravenous antibiotics for bacteria. His symptoms failed to improve, and steroid treatment resulted in serious haematogenous dissemination of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, including miliary tuberculosis and tuberculosis verrucosa cutis, which led to the final diagnosis. Then, the patient received a five-agent antituberculosis treatment. He was recently followed up with only the sequelae of left side ptosis and oculomotor weakness.