Appearance and morphologic features of laryngeal tuberculosis using laryngoscopy

Abstract

Laryngeal tuberculosis (LTB) is highly contagious and can cause permanent laryngeal damage. Therefore, correctly identifying laryngoscopic LTB lesion locations, sizes, and morphologic features are essential for LTB diagnoses. This study aimed to explore the appearance and morphologic features of LTB and correlated these features with clinical symptoms. We retrospectively analysed 39 LTB patients in our hospital between January 2013 and December 2019. Medical records, including clinical presentation, lesion appearance (locations, sizes, and morphology), complementary examination results, and histopathologic features were summarized and analysed. In this patient cohort, dysphonia and sore throat were the two most common clinical symptoms. In LTB patients with extensive lesions, ulcerative lesions were most common, and the proportion of cases with concurrent pulmonary tuberculosis (86.4%, P = .033) infection was higher, as were the positive rates of sputum smears (72.7%, P = .011) and cultures (86.4%, P = .002) than patients without concurrent pulmonary TB and with more localized and exophytic lesions. The histopathologic features of LTB-related ulcerative lesions included fewer granulomas and more areas with caseous necrosis. These lesions were more likely to have acid-fast bacilli detected with a Ziehl–Neelsen stain than exophytic lesions that rarely showed detectable bacilli. A complete knowledge regarding the visual and morphologic features of LTB on laryngoscopy is needed for the early detection and diagnosis of LTB. Our study revealed the lesion sites, sizes, and morphologic features of LTB. These parameters were also correlated with patient clinical symptoms. Future studies are needed to support and expand the results of this retrospective study.

ENT manifestation CCs in tuberculosis: a descriptive study

“…According to Zang et al, ulcerative lesions were more common [20]. Concurrent pulmonary tuberculosis was seen in a higher number of laryngeal tuberculosis patients [20]. Similar results were seen in the present study.…”

“…In the present study, the interarytenoid region was the most common site followed by the vocal cord and ventricular folds. According to Zang et al, ulcerative lesions were more common [20]. Concurrent pulmonary tuberculosis was seen in a higher number of laryngeal tuberculosis patients [20].…”

COVID-19 presenting as acute epiglottitis: A case report and literature review

“…These results suggest that necrotic-like erosive lesions may characterize COVID-19-induced acute laryngitis. Further, the lesions of acute laryngitis are similar to those of tuberculous laryngitis [11] . Thus, diagnosis requires culture tests, as in our patient's case.…”

A Chronic Dysphony Caused by a Bifocal and Pulmonary Laryngeal Tuberculosis

“…In case of severe dyspnoea caused by laryngeal obstruction, a tracheotomy may be done. An anti-tuberculous treatment of 6 months can be lengthened to 12 months when it is associated with pulmonary attack [19]. In fact, in most of the cases, the symptoms start disappearing in few weeks' treatment and the larynx is almost restored to its original state in few months.…”