Chronic non-healing ulcer of the oral cavity: tuberculosis or carcinoma?

OBJECTIVE: Tuberculosis is a chronic granulomatous lesion, which primarily has an affinity for the lungs. It can involve other sites like lymph nodes, kidney, oral cavity. Infection of the oral cavity by M. tuberculosis can be as a Primary infection or as a Secondary infection. Primary presentation of oral tuberculosis is in the form of the chronic non healing ulcer. A Primary infection or an Asymptomatic Secondary infection can impose a great diagnostic dilemma, as it may mimic neoplasia. Here we present a case of a 32-year-old asymptomatic female with secondary infection.