[An autopsy case of severe miliary tuberculosis in a patient with acute lymphatic leukemia (ALL)]

A 58-year-old Japanese man being diagnosed as having ALL suffered from continuous fever and dysfunction of the liver and kidneys despite being in a state of haematological remission. Further clinical investigations, however had not been able to find the causes of his condition before his death. The autopsy revealed severe miliary tuberculosis affecting many organs including the heart, lungs, liver, spleen, kidneys, thyroid gland, pancreas, bone marrow, and central nervous system, which is compatible with multiple organ failures. Recent pharmacological advances have increased the usage of many kinds of antineoplastic drugs, and this has resulted in increased chances of opportunistic infections by various microorganisms in the course of treatment. The present case implies the significance of the reactivation of tuberculosis in the secondary immunodeficient syndrome (SIDS).