Primary oral tuberculosis following dental extraction in a patient undergoinghemodialysis: A case report

Abstract

Primary oral tuberculosis after dental extraction is almost non-existent, and there is very little data on its clinical, pathological and radiological features. A 34 year-old Turkish man in good condition was treated with known chronic renal failure due to hypertension and who had been undergoing maintenance hemodialysis, 3 times a week for 3 months. He presented with swelling of the submental region following two teeth extractions diagnosed as teeth abscesses. Following the biopsies from the lesions, the histopathological findings, an analysis of the positive culture, demonstrated mycobacterial cord factor and polymerase chain reaction response to the Mycobacterium confirmed primary oral tuberculosis after dental extraction. The patient had no evidence of tuberculosis anywere else in his body. Medical and periodontal treatment were curative. This case highlights the importance of considering tuberculosis because of (1) the rarity of primary oral tuberculosis after dental extraction, (2), the presence of the Mycobacterium cord factor is considered as a virulence factor in the Mycobacterium tuberculosis, (3) the patient’s being young and in good condition displayed a favourable response to anti-tubercular and periodontal treatment. Key words: Primary, oral tuberculosis, dental extraction.