CLINICOPATHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF ORAL TUBERCULOSIS AND NONSPECIFIC GRANULOMATOUS INFLAMMATORY LESIONS.

Objectives: This study aimed to analyze cases diagnosed as oral tuberculosis and other nonspecific granulomatous lesions. <h3>Study design</h3> Clinical cases of oral tuberculosis with histopathological characteristics compatible with the disease were selected from 1953 to 2022. Special stains by the AFB technique were also performed. <h3>Results</h3> Of the 88 diagnosed cases, 14 were oral tuberculosis and 74 were Nonspecific Granulomatous Inflammatory Lesions (NGIL). After applying exclusion criteria, 28 patients were selected, with 12 (42.8%) diagnosed as oral tuberculosis and 16 (57.1%) as NGIL. Most patients were male (67.9%) with ages ranging from 2 to 94 years. The most common clinical aspects of oral tuberculosis were irregular ulcers (66.7%) and nodules (8.3%), while for NGIL, ulcers (68.8%) and cysts (6.3%) were more common. The most common location for both lesions was the tongue (50.0% and 18.8%, respectively). All special stains for AFB were negative. <h3>Conclusion</h3> Oral tuberculosis is infrequent and requires early diagnosis for better survival rates. However, histopathological findings can be nonspecific, compromising diagnostic accuracy. Special stains and molecular biology methods can contribute to faster diagnosis and, consequently, better treatment outcomes.