Disseminated tuberculosis: interesting hematological observations

Disseminated tuberculosis can present in various ways including prolonged fever / pyrexia of unknown origin, hepatosplenomegaly, lymphadenopathy, meningitis and rarely extreme forms of hematological abnormalities such as pancytopenia and leukemoid reaction. We hereby report a case who presented with short history of fever, associated with vomiting and altered sensorium. He also had evidence of meningitis on neuroimaging with equivocal CSF finding. During his stay, he showed a spectrum of interesting hematological findings, including severe pancytopenia on peripheral smear, hemophagocytosis, epithelioid cell granuloma with Langhans' giant cells and focal necrosis consistent with tuberculosis on bone marrow examination. He showed an excellent clinical as well as hematological response to four drug antitubercular treatment (RHZE). The report highlights the significance of hematological picture in final confirmation of tuberculosis which may otherwise be passed off as nutritional or other unrelated causes.