A Rare Presentation of Tuberculosis of the Palate: A Case Report

Numerous diseases can manifest with lesions in the oral cavity. It is important for clinicians to be able to assess, diagnose and treat lesions presenting in the oral cavity. A 28-year-old female, presented to the Maxillofacial clinic with an unusual erythematous area on her hard palate. Clinical examination revealed an inflamed, erythematous granulomatous lesion covering most of the hard palate. A biopsy of the palatal lesion was carried out which revealed ulceration with dense plasmacytic aggregates and necrotizing granulomatous inflammation. Acid-fast bacilli were noted on Ziehl-Neelsen stain, supporting the diagnosis of tuberculosis. Diagnosis of oral tuberculosis can be challenging as it rarely presents without a pre-existing diagnosis or symptoms of pulmonary tuberculosis. This case highlights the importance of a broad differential diagnosis, a systematic approach to evaluation, and the role of histopathology in diagnosing uncommon presentations like oral tuberculosis.