Mediastinal tuberculous lymphadenitis with anthracosis as a cause of vocal cord paralysis

Anthracotic pigmentation in the bronchial mucosa has been regarded as a bronchoscopic finding of pneumoconiosis or evidence of heavy atmospheric soot. Anthracotic pigmentation with bronchial narrowing or obliteration, surrounded by calcified or noncalcified lymph nodes is typical finding of anthracofibrosis. There is a potential relationship between bronchial anthracofibrosis and tuberculosis. Tuberculous lymphadenopathy of superior mediastinum presentation with hoarseness is very rare. The paper reports a case of tuberculous mediastinal lymphadenitis with anthracosis causing vocal cord paralysis. A 66-year-old woman was admitted to our clinic with the symptoms of dry cough, hoarseness, malaise, anorexia, night sweats and with the multiple mediastinal lymphadenopathy. Fiberoptic bronchoscopy revealed left vocal cord paralysis, bronchial mucosal inflammation and multiple anthracotic plaques. Bronchial lavage and mucosal biopsy were negative for malignancy and tuberculosis. The thoracotomy was performed and a mediastinal lymph node showing caseating granulomatous inflammation with anthracosis and parenchymal anthracosis were detected. The diagnosis of anthracosis and mediastinal tuberculous lymphadenitis was made and the patients put on antituberculous treatment. But she unfortunately died in the second month of the treatment because of the abdominal complication of gastric adenocarcinoma operation.