[A case of hemophagocytic syndrome caused by tuberculosis]

A 59-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with a picture of high fever and dyspnea. Pneumonia was diagnosed by chest CT scan and was treated. Laboratory findings showed pancytopenia and examination of aspirated bone marrow showed mature histiocytes with marked hemophagocytosis. She was treated with prednisolone, but her respiratory condition worsened, so she was ventilated. An acid-fast bacterial smear of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from the left lingula showed Gaffky's scale No. 5, and so tuberculosis was diagnosed. Though anti-tuberculosis therapy was started, she died after eight days of hospitalization. Infection-associated hemophagocytic syndrome is caused by various infections. Until now, 26 cases of tuberculosis-associated hemophagocytic syndrome have been reported, and many of these diseases were caused by severe tuberculosis. If a patient with severe tuberculosis presents with leucocytopenia or thrombocytopenia, investigations should serve a differential diagnosis that takes into account disseminated intravascular coagulation, tuberculous granuloma of the bone marrow, side effects of anti-tuberculous drugs, and hypersplenism from hemophagocytic syndrome.