How does TB affect the larynx?

Laryngeal tuberculosis (LT) is the most common granulomatous disease of the larynx and has usually been considered to result from pulmonary tuberculosis (PT), although it might be localized in the larynx as a primary lesion without any pulmonary involvement 1–5. LT may cause hoarseness, dysphagia and odynophagia 6–8.

How is laryngeal TB diagnosed?

Diagnosis of laryngeal tuberculosis is made by identification of a caseating granuloma in a biopsy specimen. The patients respond well to antituberculosis drugs treatment. This case report describes primary laryngeal tuberculosis in a patient without pulmonary tuberculosis.

Is laryngeal TB infectious?

Laryngeal tuberculosis is often misdiagnosed and is a highly contagious public health problem. The changing pattern of the clinical involvement of this disease poses a diagnostic challenge. The authors report four cases of laryngeal tuberculosis encountered in a short span of one month.

What are the salient features of pulmonary tuberculosis?

Classic clinical features associated with active pulmonary TB are as follows: Cough. Weight loss/anorexia. Fever.

What are the symptoms of tuberculosis of the larynx?

Symptoms of Laryngeal Tuberculosis. A characteristic complaint of patients with tuberculosis of the larynx is hoarseness of the voice, expressed to some extent, pain in the larynx. When the process is localized in the podgolospace, respiratory failure develops.

When does laryngeal TB become a terminal event?

Before the advent of effective chemotherapy for TB, laryngeal TB was considered a terminal event during the progression of pulmonary TB, developing soon before death, and possibly occurring in over 50% of patients. In the era of effective chemotherapy, laryngeal TB has become rare (< 1% of TB cases).

Is the disease of laryngeal tuberculosis contagious?

Laryngeal disease was highly infectious and often caused terminal widespread bronchogenic dissemination throughout the lungs. At present, however, more than one half of laryngeal tuberculosis cases are due to hematogenous seeding. Such cases are still highly contagious.

What are the symptoms of tuberculosis of the head and neck?

Lesions vary from erythema to ulceration and exophytic masses resembling carcinoma.330 Symptoms include cough, wheezing, hemoptysis, dysphagia, odynophagia, and otalgia. Aside from cervical node disease, tuberculosis of the head and neck is relatively uncommon and usually arises secondarily to pulmonary infection.