Primary oral tuberculosis: A case series of a rare disease

Mycobacterium tuberculosis : a new hitchhiker in the etiopathogenesis of periodontitis

Periodontitis, a chronic inflammatory disease of the gums affects both the ligament and alveolar bone. A severe form of periodontal disease affects a strikingly high number of one billion adults globally. The disease permutes both the soft and hard tissues of the oral cavity leading to localized and systemic diseases. Periodontitis has a deleterious impact on systemic health causing diabetes, cardiovascular diseases (CVD), and other disease. The cause of the enhanced inflammatory process is due to dysbiosis and an unregulated immune response. Innate immune response and T cells trigger uninhibited cytokine release causing an unwarranted inflammatory response. The RANK- RANKL interaction between osteoblasts, immune cells, and progenitor osteoclasts results in the maturation of osteoclasts, which promote bone resorption. It is well established that dysbiosis of the oral cavity has been implicated in periodontitis. But emerging reports suggest that the pulmonary pathogen, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), causes extrapulmonary diseases such as periodontitis. Many clinical case reports advocate the involvement of Mtb in periodontitis, which poses a threat with the surge of tuberculosis in HIV and other immunocompromised individuals. Fostering a better understanding of the mechanism, causative agents and control on inflammatory response is imperative in the prevention and treatment of periodontitis.

Primary Tuberculosis of Buccal and Labial Mucosa: Literature Review and a Rare Case Report of a Public Health Menace

Tuberculosis (TB) is a chronic granulomatous infectious disorder, caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Despite the recent advancements in antitubercular therapy (ATT), it remains a global public health concern. TB is a leading infectious cause of global mortality, second only to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). TB of the oral cavity is an uncommon occurrence and may be classified as a primary and secondary form. The primary tubercular lesions are extremely rare, as the intact oral squamous epithelium resists the entry of tubercle bacilli. The commonest oral TB lesion is solitary ulceration with undermined edges, usually on the tongue, that does not exhibit healing with conservative therapies. Owing to the atypical presentation, the oral TB lesions often go unnoticed during clinical examination; hence, an oral physician should be familiar with the various oral manifestations of TB. A timely diagnosis coupled with interdisciplinary treatment is the key to combat disease dissemination. This manuscript aims to report a rare case of primary tuberculosis of the buccal and labial mucosa in a 43-year-old immunocompetent male patient. Buccal and labial mucosa are the infrequently affected sites for primary oral TB lesions. A detailed literature search carried out on the Google Scholar and PubMed search engines revealed only fifteen case reports and two case series of primary tuberculosis of the buccal mucosa and labial mucosa.

A buccal mucosa ulcer as the first sign of tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused mostly by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Oral lesions caused by this disease are not common, and most of them represent secondary involvement of the initial pulmonary focus. Therefore, the discovery of lung tuberculosis because of the investigation of oral lesions is rare. This paper reports a case of a 61-year-old male patient who presented with a painfully ulcerated lesion in labial commissure and buccal mucosa, without any comorbidities or symptoms associated. An incisional biopsy was performed, and histopathology showed a chronic granulomatous lesion extending to involve the underlying muscle. Based on these findings, investigation for tuberculosis was suggested. Chest radiography displayed excavated macronodular lesions suggestive of an inflammatory-infectious/granulomatous process of bronchogenic dissemination. The search for acid-alcohol-resistant bacillus in sputum was positive. After using drug therapy for tuberculosis for 3 months, there was a total regression of the oral lesions, in addition to weight recovery in the period. Thus, in patients with isolated oral mucosa lesions, we must consider the possibility of oral manifestation of systemic diseases, even without typical clinical signs and symptoms.

Lingual primary tuberculosis mimicking malignancy

INTRODUCTION

The constant increase in the incidence of tuberculosis, as long as the emerging global resistance to antituberculous drugs warrants an increased awareness of the possibility of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis in persistent lesions of the oral cavity. Lingual tuberculosis is a rarely described entity of extra pulmonary tuberculosis. It usually presents as a non-healing chronic mucosal lesion that may mimic malignant lingual neoplasms.

CASE REPORT

In the present paper, we report a rare presentation of lingual tuberculosis in a 36 years old woman, which was clinically suspected as an extensive malignant fissure of the tongue. The diagnosis was confirmed by tongue biopsy and the patient responded well to the antitubercular chemotherapy.

DISCUSSION

lingual tuberculosis is a rare clinical and pathological entity of extrapulmonary tuberculosis. Only a few cases have been reported around the world, and in each one of them, a unique clinical form has been described. This variability of clinical presentations can allude to several pathological conditions including malignancy.

CONCLUSION

This case report is a documentation of a unique clinical and radiological presentation of lingual tuberculosis; it also highlights the importance of considering tuberculosis in the differential diagnosis of chronic tongue lesions.