[Pharyngeal tuberculosis: Case report]

Arch Argent Pediatr. 2015 Aug;113(4):e230-3. doi: 10.5546/aap.2015.e230.
[Article in Spanish]

Abstract

Pharyngeal tuberculosis is a rare extrapulmonary manifestation. In Argentina, the number of cases of tuberculosis reported in children under 19 years in 2012 was 1752. Only 12.15% had extrapulmonary manifestation. A case of a 17 year old girl with pharyngeal tuberculosis is reported. The patient presented intermittent fever and swallowing pain for 6 months, without response to conventional antibiotic treatment. Chest X-ray showedbilateral micronodular infiltrate, so hospitalization was decided to study and treat. The sputum examination for acid-fast resistant bacilli was positive and treatment with four antituberculous drugs was started, with good evolution and disappearance of symptoms. Diagnostic confirmation with the isolation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in sputum culture was obtained. The main symptoms of pharyngeal tuberculosis are sore throat and difficulty in swallowing of long evolution. It is important to consider tuberculosis as differential diagnosis in patients with chronic pharyngitis unresponsive to conventional treatment.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Pharyngeal Diseases* / diagnosis
  • Tuberculosis* / diagnosis