Oesophageal tuberculosis: rare but not to be forgotten

Momin N, Chong VH
Correspondence: Dr Vui Heng Chong, chongvuih@yahoo.co.uk

ABSTRACT
Tuberculosis remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality, especially in underdeveloped and developing nations. Manifestations could be nonspecific and may mimic many other conditions, including malignancies. Oesophageal involvement is surprisingly rare despite the high prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis and the close proximity of these two structures. We report two cases of oesophageal tuberculosis; a 73 year-old man with simultaneous oesophageal, stomach and duodenal involvement, and a 45-year-old man with isolated oesophageal involvement. Underlying malignancies were initially suspected in both cases, but they were eventually diagnosed as tuberculosis.

Keywords: dysphagia, extrapulmonary tuberculosis, gastrointestinal tuberculosis, oesophageal cancer
Singapore Med J 2012; 53(9): e192–e194