Clinical and pathologic analyses of tuberculosis in the oral cavity: report of 11 cases

Objective The aim of this study was to analyze tuberculosis (TB) in the oral cavity according to clinical appearance, clinical differential diagnosis, treatment, and outcome. Study Design We enrolled 11 patients with TB in the oral cavity between November 2012 and November 2016. Glossal lymphoid TB was excluded. Clinical symptoms, auxiliary examinations, treatments, and outcomes were recorded and analyzed. Results The study population comprised 6 men and 5 women, with a mean age of 59 years. Five patients presented with ulcer, 5 with a mass, and 1 with osteomyelitis. Excisional biopsy was performed in 3 patients, mass resection in 7, and curettage of mandibular lesion in 1. After pathologic diagnosis of TB in the oral cavity in 8 patients; 6 of them underwent purified protein derivative examination, and 4 of them had positive results and received drug therapy. The mean follow-up period was 24.9 months, and there was no recurrence. Conclusions TB in the oral cavity is rare and has no specific clinical features. Pathology, acid-fast staining, polymerase chain reaction, and DNA testing for Mycobacterium tuberculosis are useful for final diagnosis. Surgery is recommended as the treatment of choice to achieve good clinical outcomes.