Changing trends in clinical manifestations of laryngeal tuberculosis.
OBJECTIVE
Despite the dramatic decrease in the incidence of laryngeal tuberculosis, the disease has gained new interest as a result of claims that it has changed its clinical patterns. The aim of this study is to evaluate the changing trends in clinical manifestations of laryngeal tuberculosis.


METHODS
Retrospective clinical analysis.


METHODS
Clinical analysis of 22 patients with pathologically confirmed laryngeal tuberculosis was carried out retrospectively.


RESULTS
Patients' ages ranged from 22 to 75 years. The male-to-female ratio was 2.14 to 1. The most frequent chief complaint was hoarseness. The true vocal cord and the false vocal cord were commonly involved, and 11 patients showed single lesions. Among 22 patients, only 7 had active pulmonary tuberculosis, and 9 were proven to have normal lung status. The patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis showed more ulcerative and multiple lesions. The patients with normal lung status showed nonspecific, polypoid, and single lesions. All patients responded satisfactorily to antituberculous medication.


CONCLUSIONS
The clinical manifestations of laryngeal tuberculosis have changed and seem to be different from those of classic reports. It can even occur without pulmonary tuberculosis, and the characteristics of lesions seem to be more nonspecific. It might be important to consider tuberculosis in the differential diagnosis of nonspecific laryngeal disease.
Shin
J E
JE
Department of Otolaryngology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
Nam
S Y
SY
Yoo
S J
SJ
Kim
S Y
SY
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014387:Tuberculosis, Laryngeal / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000150:complications
D000995:Antitubercular Agents