Miliary Tuberculosis Presenting with Hyponatremia and ARDS in an 82-Year-Old Immunocompetent Female
Benjamín Herreros1,2, Isabel Plaza3, Rebeca García4
1Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitario Fundación Alcorcón, 28922 Madrid, Spain. BHerreros@fhalcorcon.es.
Abstract:
An immunocompetent 82-year-old female was admitted to our hospital due to fever without clear origin and hyponatremia. In the following days, an acute and bilateral pulmonary infiltrate appeared with a progressive worsening in respiratory function. Chest x-ray and CT (Computed tomography) showed bilateral reticulonodular infiltrates. Bronchoscopic aspiration and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), and transbronchial lung biopsy (TBBX) studies did not reveal microbiological and histopathological diagnosis. Broad-spectrum antibiotics were non-effective, and the patient died due to respiratory failure. Necropsy study revealed a miliary tuberculosis affecting lungs, liver, bone marrow, spleen, kidney, arteries, pancreas, and adrenal glands. Some weeks after the patient´s death, mycobacterial cultures from sputum, BAL and TBBX samples were positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
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