Tuberculous laryngitis mimicking supraglottic carcinoma – A case report

Primary tuberculous laryngitis is a rare disease with features such as hoarseness of voice, dysphagia and similar symptoms which mimic carcinoma. Incidence of tuberculosis of larynx has greatly reduced as a res ult of improved health care and effective antitubercular therapy. Direct laryngoscopy and histopathology along with ZN staining (20%) are considered as gold standard in the diagnosis of tuberculous laryngitis. Tuberculous laryngitis can present as white ulcerative lesions, nonspecific ulcerative lesions, polypoidal masses or ulcerofun gating mass lesions. Treatment of tuberculous laryngitis comprises of standard antitubercular regimen with ver y good results. Thorough investigations for tuberculosis as well as carcinoma should be under taken to rule out carcinoma. We here by present a case of a 70 year old male with hoarseness of voice, dysphagia and other symp toms, who on examination had a mass in the supraglottic region. On histopathology, diagnosis of primary tuber culous laryngitis was given.