TONSILLAR TUBERCULOSIS: AN ELUSIVE MIMIC IN A 17-YEAR-OLD

Tonsillar tuberculosis is an exceptionally rare manifestation of an otherwise common disease, often misdiagnosed as lymphoma due to its nonspecific presentation.We report a 17-year-old female with a three-year history of intermittent odynophagia and unilateral tonsillar enlargement.Initial clinical suspicion favored lymphoma;however,histopathology revealed granulomatous inflammation with caseation necrosis, and Ziehl–Neelsen staining confirmed the presence of acid-fast bacilli.The patient responded completely to antitubercular therapy within three months.This case highlights the importance of considering tuberculosis in atypical tonsillar lesions,especially in endemic regions.