Extensive sclerosis of the base of the skull due to primary nasal tuberculosis

Abstract

An 8 year old black male is presented as a primary nasal tuberculous granuloma whose roentgenograms of the skull revealed extensive sclerosis of the periorbital region involving the frontal, sphenoid, and petrous bones. The tuberculous meningitis and the osseous sclerosis at the base of the skull were cured with anti-tuberculous therapy.

Nasal tuberculosis

“…In this review surgical excision resulted in a recurrence rate of greater than 50%. Reported cases since 1951 have been treated with anti‐TB, medications, and no recurrences have occurred, except for one case, noted by Nemir et al 13 in which the patient was noncompliant. Current recommendations for EPTB treatment are identical to those for pulmonary TB: isoniazid, rifampin, and pyrazin‐amide for 2 months, followed by isonizid and rifampin alone for 4 months 2 .…”

Primary nasal tuberculosis masquerading as a malignant tumour

“…Primary tuberculosis of the nasal mucosa is rare. Since it was first described by Clarke in 1876 (Clarke, 1876), a further 34 cases have been reported in the literature (Clarke, 1876;Havens, 1931;Messervy, 1971;Nemir et al, 1979;Page and Jash, 1974;Sharan, 1981;Waldman etal., 1981). Tuberculosis is often included in the differential diagnosis of nasal granulomatous disease, but it is not generally considered as a poss-ible cause of a unilateral nasal fossa mass.…”

Tuberculosis of paranasal sinuses

“…In 1852, Willigk [3] reported 1 patient of nasal tuberculosis among 476 patients of tuberculosis. Nemir et al [4] reported involvement of base of skull in one case. Gleitsmann1, in 1907, reported that a search of the literature revealed only 20 cases of maxillary sinus.…”