Tuberculosis and pulmonary candidiasis co-infection present in a previously healthy patient

The coexistance among fungal pathogens and tuberculosis pulmonary is a clinical condition that generally occurs in immunosuppressive patients, however, immunocompetent patients may have this condition less frequently.

We report the case of an immunocompetent patient diagnosed with coinfection Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Candida albicans.

A female patient, who is a 22-years old, with fever and a new onset of hemoptysis.

Diminished vesicular breath sounds in the apical region and basal crackling rales in the left lung base were found in the physical examination. Microbiological tests include: chest radiography and CAT scan pictograms in high resolution, Ziehl-Neelsen stain, growth medium for fungus and mycobacteria through Sabouraudís agar method with D-glucose. Medical examinations showed Candida albicans fungus and Mycobacterium tuberculosis present in the patient.

Patient was treated with anti-tuberculosis and anti-fungal medications, which produced good responses.

Pulmonary tuberculosis and fungal co-infection are not common in immunocompetent patients. However, we can suspect that there is a presence of these diseases by detecting new onset of hemoptysis in patients.