Gingival Tuberculosis - A Rare Presentation

Abstract

Tuberculosis is a specific granulomatous infectious disease and a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the developing countries. Primary gingival tuberculosis is extremely rare and is often a forgotten entity. It usually manifests as an ulcer. Oral lesions usually appear as a secondary form of infection. We report a case of primary tuberculosis in a 22 year old female who presented to the dental out-patients department with complaints of diffuse gingival enlargement. The patient had no evidence of tuberculosis anywhere else in the body. The possibility of gingival enlargement due to drugs, leukemia, fungus and sarcoidosis was ruled out. Histopathology of the resected mass showed caseating epithelioid granulomas. Anti-tubercular therapy comprising of 4 drug regimen was administered. On follow up after 6 months, there was no recurrence of the disease. This case emphasizes the need for dental surgeons to include tuberculosis in the differential diagnosis of gingival enlargement for early detection of this highly infectious disease.