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Tuberculosis (TB) of the oral cavity may be overlooked in the differential diagnosis of oral lesions and can be misdiagnosed and managed incorrectly. A 66-year-old man with complete dentures presented with a nonhealing mucosal ulcer in the upper lip. Despite the treatments performed by a local medical clinic, the ulcerative lesion on the denture-bearing area had not improved over 5 months. A partial excisional biopsy was performed to investigate further. Histopathologic examination revealed granulomatous inflammation caused by TB, and a chest radiograph showed consolidation and cavitation of the upper lobes. The patient was diagnosed with pulmonary TB. This clinical report describes the management of oral TB mimicking a traumatic denture ulcer in a patient with long-term complete denture use.

The present case-report describes tuberculosis on the oral mucosa, in a rare manifestation of the disease. The importance of appropriate diagnosis and awareness of the clinical manifestations is highlighted. Oral lesions seem to occur as chronic ulcers, nodular or granular areas, and rare, firm leukoplakia regions. Most extra-pulmonary lesions represent secondary infections of a primary lung infectious focus; therefore, early and accurate diagnosis is required for planning of the best treatment and strategies to control the disease. Keywords: Mycobacterium infection, Oral lesion, Oral tuberculosis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Tuberculosis is chronic granulomatous disease with rare oral manifestations. But if so are overlooked by most of the health care professionals. Clinically, most of the times, a tuberculous ulcer may mimic an ulcer of malignant origin and may be misdiagnosed. So, keeping in mind the etiology and the nature of the ulcer, it should be differentially diagnosed and a histopathological examination should only confirm the final diagnosis of the ulcer.

Tuberculosis (TB) is a chronic granulomatous disease that affects various systems of the body. Although the pulmonary form is most common, TB can also occur in the lymph nodes, kidneys, bones, and oral cavity. Oral TB is often a consequence of active pulmonary TB and is relatively rare. Here, we report a series of cases that emphasize the importance of considering oral TB in the differential diagnosis of mucosal lesions. In addition, although primary oral TB was previously considered a disease of the young, these cases demonstrate that it may occur in subjects of all ages.

A case is reported in which tuberculosis of the prostate was associated with a tuberculous lesion in the oral cavity and finally became the focus of an acute generalized miliary tuberculosis.

Summary 1. Four cases of oral tuberculosis occurring in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis, 1 of primary oral tuberculosis, 8 of tuberculosis of the tonsils, and 1 of lupus vulgaris of the lip, are described. 2. Thirty-four cases of oral tuberculosis associated with pulmonary tuberculosis are reviewed. With few exceptions these patients received chemotherapy, though only for a short period. 3. The features of the various types of tuberculosis of the mouth and throat, including lupus vulgaris, are discussed and the necessity for biopsy examination is emphasised. 4. Five of the cases reported here were followed up for periods of between one and ten years and, with the previous cases reviewed, these show that oral tuberculosis responds rapidly to chemotherapy, but the essential principles of treatment are that several antibiotics must be given, and chemotherapy should be prolonged, usually for eighteen months or more. Under these circumstances the danger of h˦matogenous spread from primary oral tuberculosis is much reduced, and the prognosis of those cases with pulmonary tuberculosis is good.