Rare infections of the head and neck: a case series

Publication date: July 2019Source: Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology and Oral Radiology, Volume 128, Issue 1Author(s): Dr. Neetha Santosh, Dr. Amber Kiyani, Dr. Uzair Luqman, Dr. Gulraiz Zulfiqar, Dr. Umar Farooq, Dr. Nadia ZaibProtozoal, invasive fungal and mycobacterial infections in the head and neck region are exceedingly rare in the developed world. However, in developing countries, endemic infections may involve the oral mucosa or facial skin. Here we present three unusual infections involving these sites. Case 1: A 48-year-old male presented with difficulty in swallowing for a couple of months. Intraoral exam showed ulceration on the palate extending down to the oropharynx. Although a malignant diagnosis was favored initially, that was ruled out since a destructive lesion involving the left auricle and helix was also present. Histopathologically the case was diagnosed as leishmaniasis following identification of small oval organisms in macrophages which was confirmed with Giemsa stain. Case 2: A 38-year-old female presented with multiple nodules on the temporal skin that had been progressively enlarging over the past 2 years and hypo-pigmented skin patches. A prior biopsy was inconclusive. The repeat biopsy of the largest nodule showed presence of bright red colored bacilli on Fite staining confirming a diagnosis of leprosy. Case 3: A 19-yr-old male presented with a one year history of an extra-oral draining sinus after extraction of mandibular posteriors. Fo...
Source: Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology and Oral Radiology - Category: ENT & OMF Source Type: research