Posterior Pharyngeal Wall Tuberculosis—A Forgotten Entity Mimicking Malignancy

Abstract

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) of posterior pharyngeal wall (PPW), either primary or secondary, is extremely rare and can mimic malignancy in elderly patients. Case Report: A 36-year-old female patient presented with complains of nonhealing ulcer at the back of her throat for 4 months. On examination, there was an ulceroproliferative growth covered with slough over PPW. Positron emission tomography scan showed uptake in PPW. There was no uptake in any other part of body. A biopsy from PPW lesion showed epithelioid cell granulomas with Langhans type giant cells. Auramine-rhodamine staining showed few beaded bacilli consistent with TB. Conclusion: Tuberculosis of PPW is an extremely uncommon entity and can mimic malignancy. It should be kept as one of the differential diagnosis as it can be cured solely by giving anti-tubercular therapy.