Laryngeal tuberculosis masquerading as carcinoma.

Two patients were cared for during a 3-month period. Both smoked at least 1 pack of cigarettes a day for many years. Both complained of hoarseness, which did not respond to antibiotics and did not resolve with time. In both cases, the initial diagnosis was squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx. Both patients had laryngeal tuberculosis, and when appropriate therapy was instituted, their symptoms and lesions cleared.