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. 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. The pathologic hallmark of tuberculosis is formation of caseating granulomas that can give rise to an infiltrative mass that may mimic malignancy.