Methods: This study was a descriptive, retrospective, record based study, using a convenient sample of patients presenting with head and neck TB at various specialist practices in Durban. Information was captured on a structured data sheet and analysed on the SPSS15 system.
Results: The study included 104 cases of TB of the head and neck region from nineteen private practices in Durban (n=104). Forty one patients (39.4%) were male and sixty three (60.6%) were female. TB of the head and neck presented most commonly in the thirty-one to forty year age group, which comprised of 43% of the total number of patient records examined.
Seventy seven (74%) of the patients were of African (Black origin) and twenty seven (26%) were of Asian origin. Thirty five (33.7%) of the patients was confirmed with HIV. Lymph nodes which were found in ninety three (89.4%) of the patients, was the most common site of head and neck TB. The second most common site was the tonsil. Other sites included the ethmoid sinus and the mastoid process. No patients were identified with TB of the cervical spine, tongue, hard palate, soft palate, mandible, tempero-mandibular joint, maxilla, buccal mucosa, gingiva, floor of the mouth and lips.
Conclusions: The findings indicate that extra-pulmonary TB is predominant among female patients, African patients and patients that are HIV positive. The cervical lymph nodes was identified as the most common site for TB of the head and neck. Thus racial, gender and HIV status are important risk factors to consider in the diagnosis of extra-pulmonary TB.