Nasopharyngeal tuberculosis

Abstract

Nasopharyngeal tuberculosis is a rare disorder. It usually occurs via hematogenous and lymphatic spread from coexistent pulmonary or systemic tuberculosis, and by airway during respiration or bacillary expectoration.

Material: we present a case of nasopharyngeal tuberculosis in a 50-year-old female patient presenting with a cervical mass and unilateral otitis media with effusion. The diagnosis was made by PCR and by isolation of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis on Loveinstein-Jensen cultures.

Conclusion: Nasopharyngeal tuberculosis may present with cervical mass, unilateral otitis media with effusion, and may mimic nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Furthermore, nasopharyngeal carcinoma may harbor foci of granulomatous reaction, and this feature may confuse the pathologist. However PCR carries the advantage to detect the DNA of Mycobacterium tuberculosis before its growth on culture. Even though it is rare, this entity must be considered in the differential diagnosis of the nasopharyngeal masses.