The control of pain on swallowing in tuberculosis of the larynx is often a difficult problem for the laryngologist. As long as the patient is in good general condition, when intralaryngeal operations are still feasible, this most troublesome symptom may easily be controlled by proper local treatment. If, however, a large part of the larynx is ulcerated and the sputum contains many tubercle bacilli, intralaryngeal procedures must be abandoned and other methods of treatment applied.
The present report deals principally with patients with advanced cases of laryngeal and pulmonary tuberculosis who are suffering from dysphagia. Many patients who starve themselves for fear of dreadful pain begin to show improvement in the general condition when they are again able to take nourishment. The first step in these cases, therefore, should be the relief of dysphagia.
This report covers the cases of about 100 patients treated during the last three years. Although