title: Tuberculosis of the head and neck - epidemiological and clinical presentation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of our retrospective study was to review the clinical and epidemiological presentation of head and neck tuberculosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed the history of 73 patients with head and neck tuberculosis hospitalized in the Department of Otolaryngology, Medical University of Warsaw, between 1983 and 2009.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that 26 (35.6%) patients presented with lymph node tuberculosis, 20 (27.4%) with laryngeal tuberculosis, 10 (13.7%) with oropharyngeal tuberculosis, 9 (12.3%) with salivary gland tuberculosis, 3 (4.1%) with tuberculosis of paranasal sinuses, 3 (4.1%) with aural tuberculosis, and 2 (2.7%) with skin tuberculosis in the head and neck region. Within the group of patients with lymph node tuberculosis in 15 cases there were infected lymph nodes of the 2(nd) and 3(rd) cervical region and in 11 infected lymph nodes of the 1(st) cervical region. In 5 cases of laryngeal tuberculosis there was detected coexistence of cancer. Oropharyngeal tuberculosis in 7 cases was localized in tonsils, where in 1 case coexisting cancer was diagnosed. Chest X-ray was performed in all cases and pulmonary tuberculosis was identified in 26 (35.6%) cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that tuberculosis still remains a problem and must be taken into consideration in the diagnostic process. The coincidence of tuberculosis and cancer is remarkable in the head and neck region.
authors.affiliation: Otolaryngology Department, Warsaw Medical University, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Antoni
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bruzgielewicz
authors.affiliation: Otolaryngology Department, Warsaw Medical University, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rzepakowska
authors.affiliation: Otolaryngology Department, Warsaw Medical University, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Osuch-Wójcikewicz
authors.affiliation: Otolaryngology Department, Warsaw Medical University, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Kazimierz
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Niemczyk
authors.affiliation: Otolaryngology Department, Warsaw Medical University, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Rafał
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chmielewski
keywords: head and neck tuberculosis; laryngeal; lymph node; oropharyngeal tuberculosis