Laryngeal and perianal tuberculosis simulating laryngeal and perianal carcinoma

Laryngeal tuberculosis, formerly a common disease, is now seldom discussd in the English literature and is often misdiagnosed as laryngeal carcinoma. Laryngeal tuberculosis is usually encountered in patients with advanced pulmonary disease and highly infectious sputum. Gastrointestinal tuberculosis is commonly associated with laryngeal tuberculosis and occurs predominantly in the ileocecal region; rarely does the disease occur in the anorectal region. Anorectal and distal gastrointestinal tuberculosis is often misdiagnosed as carcinoma. We present a case of tuberculosis in which lesions simulated laryngeal and anorectal carcinomas; furthermore, despite extensive laryngeal tuberculosis, sputa smears were negative for Mycobacterium tuberculosis until bronchoscopy was performed. In the absence of extensive cavitary disease, organisms may not be plentiful in sputum in patients with laryngeal tuberculosis. To our knowledge, there is no previously reported case of laryngeal and perianal tuberculosis.