[Tuberculous lesions of the cervico-facial area. A case load of 20 years].
BACKGROUND
Tuberculosis is a granulomatous inflammatory process consequent to infection by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (human or bovine type). In the maxillofacial district easily the most frequent localisation is the laterocervical and submandibular lymph nodes.


METHODS
The series presented here includes cases of specific tubercular infection of the maxillo-facial district observed by the Division of Maxillo-Facial Surgery of the University of Turin during the period 1975 and 1995.


RESULTS
121 surgically-treated benign cervical lesions were examined of which 25 cases were found to be specifically tubercular, representing 21% of the total. In addition to the cases treated surgically during the period in question a further 12 cases of specific tubercular adenopathy were diagnosed which were treated using medical treatment alone. The clinical trend observed in these patients was variable but almost constantly characterised by scarce subjective symptomatology.


CONCLUSIONS
Diagnostic ascertainment, according to our experience, must be complete and include an accurate family and individual anamnesis, a careful objective examination, hematochemical tests (hemochrome, ESR), cervical and lung X-rays and bacterioscopic tests using fine needle aspiration. From a therapeutic point of view, in agreement with the majority of papers, the authors affirm that surgery appears to be the most indicated form of treatment.
Gallesio
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C
Dipartimento di Fisiopatologia Clinica, Università degli Studi, Torino.
De Gioanni
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PP
Fasciolo
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A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009333:Neck; D014388:Tuberculosis, Lymph Node / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery