Extrapulmonary Tuberculosis in ENT: A Case Series on the Overlooked Details

Abstract

Introduction:

The importance of knowing the extra pulmonary manifestations of Tuberculosis (TB) in a country like India, which contributes the largest number of cases in the world, is extremely important in every speciality of medicine.  The annual incidence is more than 10 million per year, with about 7.5 million newly diagnosed and 10.6 million total diagnosed cases in 2022. In 2022 alone, India accounted for 27% of the global burden of TB. We would like to address a few of these extra pulmonary manifestations, which should be given as much importance as pulmonary TB.

Cases:

We would like to discuss 3 cases of extrapulmonary TB and the steps that we took for diagnosis of the same. The first case was TB laryngitis, the second one being a chronic retropharyngeal abscess secondary to TB, and the third being lupus vulgaris of the nose.

Conclusion:

The diagnostic algorithm of TB has been adequately described in NTEP. But to reach an adequate diagnosis, the onus lies on the clinician to recognise the features and symptoms of a case of extra pulmonary TB. The signs and symptoms on simple visual examination, endoscopy and x ray imaging must not be missed and a clinical diagnosis reached with the help of all 3.