Laryngeal tuberculosis diagnosed by stool sample cultures: a case report

INTRODUCTION: Laryngeal tuberculosis is a rare and often misdiagnosed disease. Its diagnosis is based on the association of a laryngeal lesion and the microbiological detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Stool cultures have recently been described as a useful tool in the diagnosis of atypical forms of tuberculosis. In this report, we describe the first case in the literature of laryngeal tuberculosis diagnosed by culture of stool samples. CASE PRESENTATION: A 41-year-old French Caucasian man was admitted to our hospital for dysphonia of 3 months’ evolution. A laryngeal biopsy was performed because of suspicion of carcinoma. He had no clinical signs of tuberculosis. The biopsy showed a caseating granuloma suggestive of laryngeal tuberculosis. The diagnosis was finally confirmed by stool cultures, whereas sputum cultures remained sterile for M. tuberculosis. CONCLUSIONS: This case confirms the importance of stool cultures in the diagnosis of tuberculosis, especially for patients with uncommon presentations.