Primary Oral Tuberculosis Imitating Malignancy- A Rare Case Report

Tuberculosis is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis and is an ancient disease causing major morbidity and mortality worldwide. Though tuberculosis affects lungs in the majority of the cases but can affect other organs including the oral cavity as a primary site. Oral lesions can be seen in both primary and secondary forms of tuberculosis. The present article reports a case of a primary oral tubercular ulcer of buccal mucosa in a 36-year-old female, which based on clinical features was provisionally diagnosed as squamous cell carcinoma. The diagnosis of oral tuberculosis was confirmed by histopathology, blood and immunological investigations. The patient then was kept on Antitubercular Therapy (ATT) and the lesion showed healing markedly. Thus, oral tubercular lesions are rare and are difficult to diagnose, so every chronic, abnormal looking lesion should be examined cautiously for early diagnosis and prompt treatment.