title: Primary tuberculosis of submandibular salivary gland.
abstract: Tuberculosis of the submandibular salivary gland is a rare condition and only a few cases have been reported in literature. Tubercular sialadenitis is most frequently seen in immunosuppressed patients. Diagnosis of this disease is difficult. Although fine needle aspiration cytology is useful in diagnosis, excisional biopsy is often required. Polymerase chain reaction for mycobacterium tuberculosis is a reliable diagnostic tool, and if available, it should be performed before surgical intervention to enable differential diagnosis of a salivary gland tumor. We report two cases of the submandibular salivary gland tuberculosis from South India (Mangalore located in the coastal belt of Karnataka) that proved diagnostically challenging. Both patients responded well to antitubercular therapy and surgery was avoided.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Fr. Muller Medical College Hospital, Kankanady, Mangalore (D.K.), Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Leo Francis
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Tauro
authors.forename: Celine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: George
authors.forename: Aroon
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kamath
authors.forename: Gk
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Swethadri
authors.forename: Rohan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gatty