Tuberculosis of tongue is rare. It has been reported to occur mostly in association with tuberculosis of some other tissue, especially severe pulmonary tuberculosis and has been called as secondary tuberculosis of tongue. But rarely, it has been found to occur without any detectable evidence of tuberculous lesion elsewhere in the body and been described a primary tuberculosis of tongue.
Since Morgagni described the first case of tongue tuberculosis in 1761, about 500 cases were reported, but few cases from Korea.
Tuberculous lesion in tongue does not show any characteristic clinical manifestation and can, be differentiated from other chronic infective granulomatous or neoplastic tissue by histopathological examination. The type of lesion usually seen are ulcer, fissure, graniloma, tuberculoma and glossitis.
The authors reviewed 5 cases bf tongue tuberculosis, during 11 years from Jan. 1960 to Aug. 1971 at Department of Otolaryngology in National Medical Center.
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