Glottic tubercolosis masquerading as early multifocal carcinoma

The incidence of tubercolosis has progressively decreased in developed countries after the advent of antituberculous chemoterpy, but has recently been increasing again mainly due to migratory flows. Although common in the past and considered to be a prelethal event, laryngeal involvement has become a rarity. We report the case of a 52-year-old female smoker who complained of persistent aphonia. Videostroboscopy showed bilateral vocal gold erythroleukoplakias. A chest X-ray and CT scan aroused the sispicion of lung tubercolosis, which was confirmed by Ziehl-Neelsen staining for acid-alcohol-fast bacilli on bronchoalveolar lavage. Antituberculous chemotherapy rapidly improved the quality of of her voice and led to complete disappearance of the vocal fold lesions. In conclusion, laryngeal tuberculosis may mimic an early glottic multifocal carcinoma and should therefore, despite its rarity, always be considered in the differential diagnosis of erythroleukoplakia-like lesion in order to avoid improper surgical treatement and voice damage.