Author(s)

Sameh Mezri^*, Ghassen Chebbi, Manel Chebbi, Sabrine Maamouri, Rania Ben Mhamed, Khemaies Akkari

ENT Department, Military Hospital of Tunis, Tunis, Tunisia.

Background: Despite a re-increase in the incidence of tuberculosis, extranodal location on head and neck remains rare. Clinical symptomatology is non-specific and even data from paraclinical explorations often pose the problem of differential diagnosis with tumor pathology. Methods: We report a series of 29 cases of extranodal tuberculosis collected over a period of 32 years [1986-2018] in ENT department of the military hospital of Tunis. Results: Rhinosinusopharyngeal involvement was predominant (45%) followed by glandular involvement (14%). Diagnosis was histopathological in most cases. Concomitant pulmonary tuberculosis was detected in two cases and spinal lumbar in one case. Treatment was medical in all cases. Conclusion: Clinical presentation of extranodal tuberculosis is various and non-specific. Neoplastic pathology is the main differential diagnosis. However, diagnosis should be systematically raised in endemic countries. Treatment is essentially medical.

Tuberculosis, ENT, Extranodal

Mezri, S. , Chebbi, G. , Chebbi, M. , Maamouri, S. , Mhamed, R. and Akkari, K. (2019) Extranodal Tuberculosis of Head and Neck: A Series of 29 Cases. Journal of Tuberculosis Research, 7, 148-158. doi: 10.4236/jtr.2019.73015.