Are we still encountering tuberculosis in the ent outpatient department ?

Abstract AR

Objective: To report seven cases of tuberculosis encountered in the ENT clinic and to discuss mode of presentation, diagnosis and prognosis.

Methods: Seven patients with tuberculosis who were seen in the ENT department were studied clinically and histopathologically from January 2001 to November 2002.

Resugt: Of the seven patients, five were males.

The male to female ratio was 2.5:1.

Their ages ranged from 18 to 70 years with an average of 42.57+/- 20.63 years.

Four patients had laryngeal tuberculosis, two patients had pharyngeal tuberculosis and one patient had tuberculosis of the tonsil.

Hoarseness, fever, and nights sweat were the commonest presenting features.

Two patients presented with masses, and two others had large ulcers with everted edges that were clinically suggestive of malignant lesions.

The histopathological results revealed tuberculosis.

Associated pulmonary tuberculosis was seen in only one of the patients.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis us isolated from the sputum of 3 patients with laryngeal tuberculosis and one patient with pharyngeal tuberculosis.

All patients responded completely with a 9 month course of anti tuberculosis drugs.

Conclusion: Although tuberculosis is rarely encountered in ENT clinics, its diagnosis needs a high index of suspicion, confirmed by histological and bacteriological study.