A rare case of laryngeal tuberculosis mimicking supraglottic carcinoma

ABSTRACT

Tuberculosis of the larynx is a rare entity usually secondary to pulmonary TB, which develops due to direct spread of mycobacterium bacilli to the larynx from contaminated sputum or by hematogenous spread.² The most common site for infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the lung, but any site may be secondarily or even primarily involved. Tuberculosis in India is a disease of public health importance, although recent data have shown a decline in the prevalence of and mortality from tuberculosis in India. Primary laryngeal tuberculosis is a very rare entity and it results from inhaled tubercle bacilli settling directly on the larynx. The incidence of laryngeal tuberculosis is less than 1% of all cases of tuberculosis.^5,6 The pathologic hallmark of tuberculosis is formation of caseating granulomas that can give rise to an infiltrative mass that may mimic malignancy.⁴

Keywords: Pulmonary tuberculosis, laryngeal tuberculosis, laryngeal carcinoma, supraglottis