Abstract
Background: Hypopharyngeal tuberculosis is a rare form of extrapulmonary tuberculosis. Symptoms such as dysphagia, odynophagia, and hoarseness closely mimic those of hypopharyngeal malignancy, posing a significant diagnostic challenge. This case report presents a case of primary hypopharyngeal tuberculosis masquerading as malignancy in Quetta, Balochistan.
Case Presentation: A 60-year-old male patient presented to the outpatient department with a two-month history of dysphagia, severe odynophagia, and shortness of breath. On detailed examination, the patient appeared dehydrated and emaciated, with cervical lymphadenopathy. Laryngoscopy revealed an exophytic mass in the supraglottic region extending to the left pyriform fossa. These clinical findings were highly suggestive of laryngeal carcinoma.
Management and Results: CT scan demonstrated mural thickening of the supraglottic larynx, pre-epiglottic space, and paraglottic space. Multiple biopsies were obtained from the laryngeal mass. Histopathological examination revealed chronic granulomatous inflammation composed of epithelioid histiocytes with central caseous necrosis. Subsequent investigation with GeneXpert yielded positive results for tuberculosis. Consequently, the patient was started on standard anti-tuberculous therapy.
References
1. Bagcchi S. WHO's global tuberculosis report 2022. The Lancet Microbe. 2023;4(1):e20.
2. Atif M, Munir K, Malik I, Al-Worafi YM, Mushtaq I, Ahmad N. Perceptions of healthcare
professionals and patients on the role of the pharmacist in TB management in Pakistan: A qualitative
study. Frontiers in Pharmacology. 2022; 13:965806.
3. Kongmebhol P, Lapeña Jr JF. Imaging of Ear, Nose, and Throat Tuberculosis: Temporal Bone,
Sinonasal Cavities, Pharynx, and Larynx. In Imaging of Tuberculosis. Cham: Springer International
Publishing. 2022:157-183.
4. Madolangan J, Fiqran M, Affan M, Herman B. A Rare Case of Pulmonary Tuberculosis Masquerading
as Laryngeal Tuberculosis or Malignant Manifestation. Jurnal Respirasi. 2024; 10:243-8.
5. Mocanu AI, Mocanu H, Moldovan C, Soare I, Niculet E, Tatu AL, Vasile CI, Diculencu D, Postolache
PA, Nechifor A. Some Manifestations of Tuberculosis in Otorhinolaryngology–Case Series and a Short
Review of Related Data from South-Eastern Europe. Infection and Drug Resistance. 2022:2753-62.
6. Christodoulou ED, Tanaka KY. Dysphagia as A Primary and Unanticipated Complaint in Central
Nervous System Tuberculosis: Navigating Diagnostic Complexities. European Journal of Emerging
Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. 2024;1(01):33-44.
7. Sundaram K, Prabhu V. Contagious illness of Tuberculosis and Correlation with Various Types of
Cancer. Medicine in Microecology. 2025:100123.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright (c) 2026 Pak-Euro Journal of Medical and Life Sciences