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Case Reports
. 2022 Feb 7;15(2):e248095.
doi: 10.1136/bcr-2021-248095.

Laryngeal tuberculosis: a neglected diagnosis

Reshma Raj  1 , Parul Sud  1 , Neha Saharan  2 , Ramandeep Singh Virk  3
Affiliations
Case Reports

Laryngeal tuberculosis: a neglected diagnosis

Reshma Raj et al. BMJ Case Rep. .

Abstract

A 24-year-old woman visited the Ear Nose Throat (ENT) outpatient department with complaints of hoarseness for 2 months not responding to conservative management. Laryngoscopic examination revealed a whitish ulceroproliferative lesion in the anterior commissure and anterior two-thirds of bilateral true vocal cords with surrounding necrosis. In view of the above findings, the patient was planned for biopsy under general anaesthesia. Intraoperative findings showed multiple whitish necrotic friable tissue involving anterior two-thirds of bilateral false vocal cords, ventricle, bilateral true vocal cords, both aryepiglottic folds and laryngeal surface of epiglottis. Postoperative histopathology was consistent with tuberculosis. A pulmonology consultation was taken, and the patient was started on anti-tuberculosis chemotherapy. One month post therapy, the voice was symptomatically better. A flexible fibreoptic laryngoscopic examination was done, which revealed almost complete resolution of the lesion with minimal ulceration at the anterior one-third of right true vocal cord.

Keywords: TB and other respiratory infections; otolaryngology / ENT.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Multiple whitish necrotic tissue with underlying friable tissue involving anterior half of larynx.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Narrow band imaging showed no significant intraepithelial papillary capillary loops seen.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Microscopic examination shows multiple epithelioid cell granulomas (H&E, 400×).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Scattered magenta coloured acid fast bacilli (Ziehl-Neelson stain, 1000× (oil immersion).
Figure 5
Figure 5
FFL examination revealed almost complete resolution of the lesion with minimal ulceration on anterior one-third of right true vocal cord. FFL, flexible fibreoptic laryngoscopic.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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