Lingual tuberculosis: A rare presentation of disseminated form of tuberculosis

Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB) is a common infectious disease, affecting almost any organ or system. Here, we report a case of an 18-year-old female presenting with a swelling in the tongue, which on fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) and special stain for acid-fast bacilli was diagnosed as TB of the tongue. Further extensive imaging study, finally, confirmed the diagnosis as disseminated TB presenting as TB of the tongue. This case was reported because of its rare incidence and to be included in the differential diagnosis of tongue swellings. This case emphasized the utility of simple outpatient procedure such as FNAC ,special staining and extensive imaging, to diagnose such a rare disseminated form of tuberculosis in an immunocompetent host.

Keywords

• disseminated tuberculosis
• fine-needle aspiration cytology
• lingual tuberculosis