Infection and Drug Resistance (May 2022)

Some Manifestations of Tuberculosis in Otorhinolaryngology – Case Series and a Short Review of Related Data from South-Eastern Europe

  • Mocanu AI,
  • Mocanu H,
  • Moldovan C,
  • Soare I,
  • Niculet E,
  • Tatu AL,
  • Vasile CI,
  • Diculencu D,
  • Postolache PA,
  • Nechifor A

Journal volume & issue
Vol. Volume 15
pp. 2753 – 2762

Abstract

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Adela-Ioana Mocanu,1,* Horia Mocanu,2 Cosmin Moldovan,3,4,* Ioana Soare,3,* Elena Niculet,5,6 Alin Laurentiu Tatu,6,7,* Claudiu Ionut Vasile,7,* Daniela Diculencu,8 Paraschiva A Postolache,9,* Alexandru Nechifor7 1Department of ENT & HNS, Polimed Medical Center, Bucharest, Romania; 2Department of ENT & HNS, Faculty of Medicine, “Titu Maiorescu” University, Bucharest, Romania; 3Faculty of Medicine, “Titu Maiorescu” University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania; 4General Surgery Ward, ‘Witting’ Clinical Hospital, Bucharest, Romania; 5Department of Morphological and Functional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, “Dunărea de Jos” University, Galati, Romania; 6Multidisciplinary Integrated Center of Dermatological Interface Research MIC-DIR (Centrul Integrat Multidisciplinar de Cercetare de Interfata Dermatologica - CIM-CID), “Dunărea de Jos” University, Galați, Romania; 7Clinical Medical Department, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, “Dunărea de Jos” University, Galati, Romania; 8Medical Analysis Laboratory, Clinical Pneumoftisiology Hospital, Iasi, Romania; 9Clinical Medical Department, Faculty of Medicine, “Grigore T Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iasi, Romania*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Adela-Ioana Mocanu, Department of ENT&HNS, Polimed Medical Center, Bucharest, Romania, Tel +40 751 209 060, Email [email protected] Elena Niculet, Department of Morphological and Functional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, “Dunărea de Jos” University, Galați, Romania, Tel +40 741 398 895, Email [email protected]: Tuberculosis is a disease of global outreach that may affect the entire human body but is most commonly located in the lungs. Otorhinolaryngological manifestations of tuberculosis are rare, mostly occurring secondary to pulmonary disease but nevertheless represent significant diagnostic challenges. Nasopharyngeal tuberculosis is rare, representing around 1% of all upper air-way localizations and the most common presentation is in the form of adenoids. Tuberculous glossitis (oral tuberculosis) is even scarcer and may present in various clinical forms, usually mimicking a malignant neoplasm, or, less often, trauma or other infectious lesions. Oropharynx tuberculosis is usually misdiagnosed as hypertrophic chronic tonsillitis. We present four rare cases of ENT tuberculosis, primary adenoiditis and tonsillitis in a 13-year-old girl, a curious case of tuberculous glossitis in a 65-year-old woman, clinically diagnosed as a lingual neoplasm and two cases of tuberculous lymphadenopathy uncommonly located in the submandibular and supraclavicular regions. A comprehensive review of literature follows the case presentations. Tuberculous manifestation in the ear, nose and throat area remains a difficult diagnosis to establish, particularly because of its rarity and non-specific clinical appearance, and should be included in the differential diagnosis of pharynx lesions. An early diagnosis is essential to avoid occurrence of complications.Keywords: case report, tuberculosis, nasopharynx, oral tuberculosis, head and neck, extra nodal

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