VOCAL CORD PARALYSIS DUE TO PULMONARY TUBERCULOSIS

Dr.Shafiq Anwar born in 1951, achieved D.SC,PhD,DTCD,MCPS in Chest Medicine, working as Chest Consultant/Visiting Physician in Multan Medical & Dental College Multan, Pakistan.

This is a case report of a 60 years old male who was on treatment in chest clinic and eventually recovered with anti tuberculosis treatment with the help of oral steroid therapy. Patient developed hoarseness of voice about 2 years back. It was mild on onset and than worsened. He had pulmonary tuberculosis and was given anti tuberculosis drugs. This patient in childhood had repeated attacks of pneumonia. He has not required hospital admission before. Hoarseness of voice due to vocal cord paralysis due to pulmonary tuberculosis is common entity which has been reported by various research workers.This patient recovered from whisper to normal voice possibly with the help of anti TB drugs and steroid and now living normal life. Tuberculosis remains a world wide public health problem despite the fact that causative organism was discovered more than hundred years ago and highly effective drugs are available making tuberculosis a preventable and curable disease. According to conservative estimates one third of the world's population is infected with tuberculosis.