A 51-Year-Old Man With Hoarseness of Voice.

CASE PRESENTATION: A 51-year-old nonsmoking man presented to his general practitioner with a primary complaint of 4 months of progressive hoarseness, and was subsequently referred to an otolaryngologist. He had no relevant medical or surgical history. He did not take any chronic medications or supplements. He was born in the Dominican Republic and moved to New York City when he was 36 years old. He worked in construction. In his spare time, he would return to his home country. The patient was a lifelong nonsmoker and reported no alcohol consumption. He denied shortness of breath, cough, sputum expectoration, fevers, chills, and night sweats.

Upper Respiratory Tract Tuberculosis.

Upper respiratory tract involvement in cases of tuberculosis (TB) of the head and neck continues to be described in the most recent reports from several different regions, including some from developed countries. Laryngeal TB is the most common of all forms of upper respiratory tract TB (URT-TB). Pulmonary lesions in URT-TB are present in about 20% of adults and about 50 to 60% of children. Systemic manifestations are uncommon. URT-TB is especially seen in patients with a variety of risk factors, such as the presence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, diabetes, smoking, alcoholism, drug abuse, malignancies, and use of immunosuppressive drugs. Nodules or ulcerative lesions are seen on morphological examination. Endoscopic examination is required for mucosal lesions. Diagnosis of TB is suspected on an epidemiological basis in high-prevalence countries or from the failure of a patient to respond to routine treatment. Smear and/or histopathological examinations help in establishing the final etiological diagnosis. Treatment includes standard anti-TB chemotherapy for at least 6 months with four primary drugs during the initial intensive phase of 2 months and two or three primary drugs during the remaining maintenance phase of 4 months. Treatment is modified on the basis of culture and sensitivity reports in cases of suspected drug resistance. Surgical intervention may be required for some patients with abscess formation and progressive disease unresponsive to medical therapy. Airway obstruction, although rare, even in fulminant cases may require tracheostomy for relief.

Palatopharyngoplasty for treatment of nasopharyngeal stenosis secondary to extra-laryngeal tuberculosis.

Nasopharyngeal stenosis is a rare sequela of extra-laryngeal tuberculosis that can adversely impact the quality of life of afflicted patients. Relying solely on the oropharyngeal airway, patients often complain of inspiratory dryness and decreased sensation of airflow as the nasal mucosa and turbinate complex is entirely excluded from the breathing mechanism. Often times, the oropharyngeal inlet can be narrowed as well, limiting the air flow through the oropharyngeal airway. In those circumstances, patients often require tracheostomy for establishment of a reliable airway. We present the unique case of a previously tracheotomized patient with nasopharyngeal stenosis secondary to tuberculosis successfully treated with a modified palatopharyngoplasty to reestablish a patent naso-oropharyngeal airway. During the follow-up period, the patient was decannulated and highly satisfied with his respiratory status. Although rare and more commonly used in the treatment of sleep apnea, palatopharyngoplasty can be a viable option for the treatment of naso-oropharyngeal stenosis and should be kept in the armamentarium of reconstructive craniofacial surgeons.

Laryngeal tuberculosis in the United States of America: a forgotten disease.

Laryngeal tuberculosis (TB) was a common manifestation of TB in the early twentieth century, but now represents only 1% of all cases. Most modern case series of laryngeal TB originate outside the USA. We report a case of laryngeal TB from our institution and review other US cases published between 1970 and 2012. One hundred twenty-seven cases were identified. The mean patient age was 49 y and 28% were female. The mean duration of symptoms was 19 weeks. Dysphonia and weight loss were the most common manifestations, seen in 96% and 47% of cases, respectively. These symptoms were usually attributed to malignancy initially. Most cases involved the vocal cords. Eighty-six percent of cases had underlying pulmonary involvement. Mortality was 3%. In the USA, laryngeal TB is rarely suspected and often confused with malignancy. This infection should be considered in patients with unexplained dysphonia and weight loss.

Tuberculous retropharyngeal abscess as a cause of oropharyngeal dysphagia.

Tuberculosis is known to affect almost every organ in the body, but its manifestations in the head and neck region are quite rare. A tuberculous retropharyngeal abscess is a very rare condition and can be the cause of oropharyngeal dysphagia. It is usually secondary to tuberculosis of the spine and has the potential of significant morbidity and mortality if not treated appropriately. We present a case of a 74-year-old man with a retropharyngeal abscess with no evidence of spinal tuberculosis.

Vocal quality of patients treated for laryngeal tuberculosis, before and after speech therapy.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate dysphonia in patients treated for laryngeal tuberculosis, and to assess the effect of speech therapy on patients' vocal quality. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seven of 23 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of laryngeal tuberculosis, treated at the Evandro Chagas Institute of Clinical Research, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, underwent speech therapy for six months. These seven patients were evaluated by videolaryngoscopy and vocal acoustic analysis, before, during and after a course of speech therapy. RESULTS: The 23 patients with laryngeal tuberculosis comprised five women and 18 men, with ages ranging from 25 to 83 years (mean 41.3 years). Dysphonia was present in 91.3 per cent of these laryngeal tuberculosis patients, being present as the first symptom in 82.6 per cent. In laryngeal tuberculosis patients with dysphonia, laryngeal tuberculosis treatment resulted in dysphonia resolution in only 15.8 per cent. After speech therapy, dysphonia patients had better vocal quality, as demonstrated by statistical analysis of jitter, shimmer, fundamental frequency variability, maximum phonation time, and the ratio between maximum phonation time for voiceless and voiced fricative sounds. CONCLUSIONS: Following treatment of laryngeal tuberculosis, the incidence of dysphonia was very high. Speech therapy improved patients' vocal quality.

[Clinical manifestation and laryngoscopic characteristics of laryngeal tuberculosis].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical manifestations of laryngeal tuberculosis and its laryngoscopic characteristics. METHOD: Clinical analysis of 36 laryngeal tuberculosis cases confirmed pathologically was carried out retrospectively. RESULTS: The patients' ages ranged from 19 to 78 years old (median 39.5 years old). The male to female ratio was 1.8 to 1. The most frequent chief complaint was hoarseness (83.3%). The true vocal cord and the false vocal cord were usually found involved by fibrolaryngoscope observations. The lesions appearances were mainly the proliferation such as nodules or granules. The laryngostroboscopy demonstrated that the wave of the mucosa and vibration of the involved vocal cords were markedly reduced or disappeared. Among 24 patients with multiple lesions in the larynx, 19 (79.2%) had active pulmonary tuberculosis,while 9 (75.0%) had normal lung status among 12 patients with single lesions in the throat. All the patients received a full course of antituberculosis treatment. The results of the antituberculous medication was satisfactory in all 26 cases patients who can be followed up, while 10 cases were lost for the follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The local clinical manifestations of laryngeal tuberculosis is nonspecific, while the whole manifestation is not apparent. The lesions commonly involve the true vocal cord and the false vocal cord. It can even occur without pulmonary tuberculosis.

[Tuberculosis of pharynx and larynx: a report of 32 cases].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the trends and the clinical changes in tuberculosis of pharynx and larynx. METHODS: The clinical data of 32 patients with tuberculosis of pharynx and larynx from Jan. 1982 to Dec. 2000 in Daping hospital were studied retrospectively. RESULTS: (1) The local manifestations were mainly single lesion that commonly involved the vocal cord (10 cases). (2) The lesions appearances were mainly the proliferation such as mass (11 cases) or granulation(8 cases). (3) anti-tuberculosis is the main treatment, the operation is the second. Twelve patients cured in clinic, six patients received operation and cured without any complications. Fourteen patients condition controlled. CONCLUSION: The classical manifestations with tuberculosis of pharynx and larynx were not exited, the new clinical manifestations were associated with local lesion in nowadays.

Tuberculosis laríngea: a propósito de un caso / Laryngeal tuberculosis: to purpose of a case

Se reporta el caso de un niño de 10 años de edad, de la etnia Pemón de Katamarata, Estado Bolívar. Durante febrero de 2001, presentó cefalea, fiebre, tos seca, disnea progresiva, exarcerbada por el ejercicio. Dos meses más tarde comenzó a presentar pérdida de peso y disfonía. Antecedente familiar: un hermano con tuberculosis pulmonar dos años antes. El exámen físico revela afonía, estridor y retracción supraclavicular y de espacios intercostales con inspitación. Recibe tratamiento con penicilina G por bronconeumonía. Evolución tórpida. Se hace diagnóstico de tuberculosis laríngea

[Tuberculosis of the larynx]. / Tuberculose in de larynx.

Laryngeal tuberculosis was diagnosed in two men, a 73-year-old man Dutch by birth and a 40-year-old one Turkish by birth. In the former patient it was probably primary tuberculosis, in the latter secondary (he had lung tuberculosis as well). The clinical picture was highly suggestive of laryngeal carcinoma in both patients. They both recovered with chemotherapy. Laryngeal tuberculosis may mimic laryngeal carcinoma. The diagnosis is based on Ziehl-Neelsen staining, culture and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Because laryngeal tuberculosis is highly infectious, the patient has to be nursed in isolation and people in his or her environment have to be screened. The response of laryngeal tuberculosis to chemotherapy is good.

Laryngeal tuberculosis: a series of 46 patients.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of laryngeal tuberculosis is declining after the advent of anti-tuberculous drugs. The disease itself is changing according to our experience, too. The changing pattern is our interest. METHODS: A series of 46 cases of laryngeal tuberculosis seen in our institution between 1980 and 1995 were reviewed retrospectively to assess the various features of the disease. RESULTS: The results showed a mean age of 48 years and a sex ratio of 2:1. Hoarseness is the most frequent presenting symptom (80%), and sore throat (52%) is another important symptom. The frequent locations of lesions are the true cords (57%), epiglottis (39%), false cords (35%), arytenoids (24%) and posterior commissure (7%). Laryngeal tuberculosis was the most common initial working diagnosis before a definite pathological report was completed. In 85% of the patients the disease was transmitted by bronchogenic route, and in the others it was primary laryngeal tuberculosis. Laryngeal tuberculosis responds well to early treatment with anti-tuberculous chemotherapy. CONCLUSION: The clinical presentation of laryngeal tuberculosis is changing. It is necessary to detect the disease early to prevent the development of severe sequalae or mortality.

[Current aspects of laryngeal tuberculosis. Apropos of 4 cases and review of the literature]. / Aspects actuels de la tuberculose laryngée. A propos de quatre cas et revue de la littérature.

After the discovery of streptomycin 1944, laryngeal tuberculosis became a rare complication of advanced pulmonary tuberculosis. Since that time the clinical aspects of the disease have changed. We analyzed these changes by reviewing 65 papers in English and in French published from 1965 to 1991 involving 738 cases and added our 4 new personal cases. To our knowledge, we report the first two well-documented cases of laryngeal tuberculosis in HIV positive patients. We propose a therapeutic and follow-up protocol for laryngeal and chest specialists treating such patients.

Tuberculosis no pulmonar: respuesta al tratamiento en condiciones del programa: experiencia del Hospital Nacional Cayetano Heredia periodo 1980 - 1990 / Non lung tuberculosis: response to the treatment proportionate by the program experiency: Hospital Nnacional Cayetano Heredia (1980 - 1990)

De 4483 casos con tuberculosis (TBC) reportados al Programa de Control de Tuberculosis (PCTBC) del Hospital Nacional Cayetano Heredia (HNCH) y centros periféricos durante el período de 1980 - 1990. 356 casos (7,9 por ciento) correspondieron a tuberculosis no pulmonar, 4036 (90 por ciento) a tuberculosis pulmonar y 91 (2,1 por ciento) a pacientes con TBC en ambas localizaciones anatómicas. Presentando un número anual de ingresos sin mayor variación. Las localizaciones anatómicas mayormente afectadas fueron: pleural 49,4 por ciento, ganglionar 18,8 por ciento, miliar 13,2 por ciento, génito-urinario, meníngea, digestivo-perítoneal y otras localizaciones en menor proporción. Hubo diferencia (p menor 0,05) entre los grupos etarios y las localizaciones anatómicas afectadas por la tuberculosis, predominando la localización meningea en menores de 14 años, miliar en menores de 25 años y génito-urinario en mayores de 35 años, dependiendo ello de la etiopatogénia de ésta enfermedad. Los pacientes con tuberculosis no pulmonar presentaron mejoría clínica al término del tratamiento médico proporcionado por el PCTBC del HNCH durante el período 1980 -1990, obteniendo una tasa de altas o éxitos de 78.3 por ciento y una tasa de fracasos 0,2 por ciento mucho menor que el obtenido en pacientes con tuberculosis pulmonar activa (8,3 por ciento), aun recibieron el 60,8 por ciento de los pacientes con tuberculosis no pulmonar esquemas terapéuticos estándar, compuesto por una droga bacteriostática en la primera fase del tratamiento

Manifestaciones orofaríngeas de la tuberculosis / Oropharyngeal manifestations of tuberculosis

La tuberculosis es generalmente una complicación de la TBC pulmonar. Estas manifestaciones extrapulmonares de la TBC eran frecuentes en la era preantibiótica, pero con las labores de prevención y control sanitario, la TBC faringolaringea se ha convertido en una entidad patológica rara. Se presentan tres casos, diagnosticados y tratados en los servicios de ORL y Neumonología del Hospital Universitaria de Caracas en el primer semestre de 1987. El motivo de consulta inicial en dos de estos pacientes fueron síntomas atribuibles al compromiso faríngeo y el tercer paciente consultó por el cuadro pulmonar. Las manifestaciones clínicas fueron las de una faringitis granulomatosa y en uno de los casos la inespecificidad del cuadro clínico obligó al diagnóstico deferencial con otras enfermedades granulomatosas. El tratamiento anti-TBC, dió excelentes resultados en los tres casos