Laryngeal Tuberculosis in a Patient on Avelumab for Metastatic Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

We present a case of a patient with metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma treated with avelumab, a programmed cell death-ligand 1 inhibitor with resulting laryngeal TB as the presenting symptom of reactivated TB. The patient required quadruple anti-TB therapy, but developed ongoing sequelae of laryngeal TB, including dysphagia and laryngeal stenosis. Ongoing trials are examining the use of avelumab in head and neck cancer patients with locally advanced disease, recurrent, or metastatic disease. Awareness of the risk of new and reactivated TB is crucial.
Source: Journal of Immunotherapy - Category: Allergy & Immunology Tags: Clinical Studies Source Type: research