Neuro-otologic manifestations of tuberculosis. "The great imitator"

Abstract

Objective: To demonstrate the different neuro-otologic clinical presentations of tuberculosis.

Study design: Retrospective clinical analysis.

Result: 83.3% of the cases of ear or central nervous system TB were without concomitant lung disease. 2 cases had primary infection in the central nervous system. The neuro-otologic manifestation was as follows: 85.7% sensorineural hearing loss; 42% polyneuropathy. 71.4% had granulation tissue. 2 had normal otoscopy. In 6 patients the histopathology and Ziehl Neelsen were confirmatory. One case was confirmed by the positive response to treatment with antituberculosis drugs.

Conclusions: Tuberculosis has a wide variety of neurotologic manifestations from chronic otitis media cadres to vestibular, audiological and neurological manifestations as well as a large variability in imaging studies.