Primary laryngeal tuberculosis mimicking supraglottic carcinoma

Abstract

Introduction: Primary laryngeal tuberculosis is an extremely rare form of tuberculosis and very few have been reported in literature. Case Report: We describe a case of a 35yearold female who presented with symptoms and sign of a supraglottic carcinoma. The patient presented with progressive hoarseness of two month's duration. Direct fiberoptic laryngoscopy showed a polypoidal growth involving the supraglottic larynx. Tissue sections from the growth showed epithelioid granuloma with Langhans giant cells. Ziehl-Neelsen staining on the tissue section showed the presence of scanty acidfast bacilli. No primary foci of tuberculosis were detected anywhere else in the body by clinical, radiological and examination of acidfast bacilli in the bronchioalveolar lavage fluid. Conclusion: Awareness of existence of isolated primary laryngeal tuberculosis is important especially in endemic areas. In case of diagnosis of laryngeal tuberculosis all effort should be made to look for an active or inactive lesion elsewhere in the body before diagnosing as primary laryngeal tuberculosis.

Screening: a unique study of otorhinolaryngeal manifestations in 400 patients of pulmonary tuberculosis being diagnosed and treated under revised national tuberculosis control programme

“…Simultaneous involvement of anatomically related multiple organs by tuberculosis should be kept in mind. 1 In the present study we have determined the incidence and pattern of otorhinolaryngeal manifestations in pulmonary tuberculosis patients. We have also compared the otorhinolaryngeal manifestations among sputum positive and sputum negative pulmonary tuberculosis patients and their treatment outcome with follow up of the patients till completion of ATT.…”

“…It forms granulomas with caseous necrosis due to the cell response of involved tissues. 1 It has the sole natural reservoir, the human body and is transmitted via airborne particles, released into the air by talking, coughing or sneezing by a patient with contagious tuberculosis.…”

“…2 Factors such as increase in the prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), incidence of people living in poor social and economic conditions, resistance to anti-tuberculosis therapy and the development of resistant bacilli, drug dependency, diabetes and alcoholism has led to the increase in incidence of disease in past 20 years. 1,2 Though M. tuberculosis infection can occur in all tissues of the body, pulmonary tuberculosis infection is overwhelmingly the most common type of infection representing approximately 80% of all cases of tuberculosis. 3 Among the forms of involvement in extrapulmonary tuberculosis are the otorhinolaryngological manifestations of this disease, mainly represented by cervical lymphadenopathy, laryngeal tuberculosis, tuberculous otitis media, tubercular involvement of the nasal and oral cavity and oropharynx.…”