Primary Tonsillar Tuberculosis

Overview

Journal BMJ Case Rep

Specialty General Medicine

Date 2018 Sep 26

PMID 30249724

Citations 3

Authors

Swetha Sasikumar

Irfan Ismail Ayub

Senthil Kannan

Rajendiran Swaminathan

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Upper aerodigestive tract involvement with tuberculosis is relatively rare and may be seen in up to 2% of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis. Isolated tonsil involvement with tuberculosis is not commonly seen in clinical practice. We report a case of a 22-year-old postpartum mother who presented with odynophagia, fever, loss of weight and submandibular swelling of 3 months' duration. Clinical examination revealed a submandibular node, and oropharyngeal examination revealed necrotic slough overlying an enlarged left tonsil. Fine-needle aspiration cytology of the node and histopathological examination of the left tonsillectomy specimen revealed necrotising epithelioid cell granulomas, and stain for acid-fast bacilli was positive in the latter. She was diagnosed with tonsillar tuberculosis and was started on antituberculous treatment following which she improved clinically. This case serves to demonstrate an uncommon presentation of primary tuberculosis and reminds us to consider tuberculosis also as a microbiological aetiology for tonsillitis.

Citing Articles

Tonsillar tuberculosis mimicking tonsillar carcinoma: A case report.

Ben Ammar C, Tbini M, Kamel H, Riahi I, Ben Salah M Int J Surg Case Rep. 2024; 121:110032.

PMID: 39002392 PMC: 11284545. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijscr.2024.110032.

Primary Tuberculosis of Tonsils: Interesting Case Detected During the Histopathological Examination.

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PMID: 38832186 PMC: 11145081. DOI: 10.7759/cureus.59616.

Primary tonsillar tuberculosis in a pediatric patient: Case report and literature review.

Moisa S, Miron I, Adam-Raileanu A, Lupu V, Lupu A, Tarca E Medicine (Baltimore). 2021; 100(44):e27616.

PMID: 34871225 PMC: 8568445. DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000027616.

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