Palate tuberculosis with paradoxical lymphadenitis

Abstract

Oral cavity involvement in tuberculosis (TB), particularly palatine, is extremely rare and mostly described in case reports. Management of these cases usually responds to classic antitubercular therapy. Some serious complications such as paradoxical reactions (PRs) may however occur, making it more challenging for physicians to treat and to manage. We present a case of a 30-year-old female patient with a history of juvenile idiopathic arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus who presented a bifocal form of TB involving the palate and the cervical lymph nodes. Follow-up after 2 months of proper antitubercular treatment revealed a PR of the lymph nodes contrasting with a favorable outcome of the oral lesions. It seems useful to raise all clinicians' awareness to suspect TB when they deal with chronic drug-resistant oral erosions and to keep in mind the diagnosis of PR when there is a worsening of one lesion and a favorable outcome of another.

Keywords

• oral ulcers
• palatine tuberculosis
• paradoxical reaction