The significance of pancytopenia in miliary tuberculosis

Patients with miliary tuberculosis accompanied by a pancytopenia rarely survive their disease. If the peripheral blood picture does recover it has been taken as an indication that there is no underlying haematological disease, and so re-examination of the bone marrow is not performed. A case is described where resolution of the pancytopenia occurred but a persisting haematological disease remained. Aspects of haematological disease associated with tuberculosis are discussed.