[Extrapulmonary tuberculosis: a difficult therapeutic approach]

The 37 year old patient was admitted to hospital with persisting fever for 4 weeks. He had a history of weight loss, night sweat and cough. Antipyretic treatment with Paracetamol and up to ineffectiveness therapy with Ibuprofen was taken by the patient.

Fever and poor general condition were obvious on time of admission. The ECG showed tachycardia. Liver values were increased. X-ray of the chest showed a central mass on the right site. On computed tomography there was a finding of a possibly necrotic tumour close to central vessels. The patient developed a prolonged thrombocytopenia and bleeding on several sites. Further diagnostic approaches were difficult to perform. After puncture of the central mediastinal mass and bone marrow we diagnosed an extensive extrapulmonary tuberculosis. Toxic hepatitis was getting worse under medical treatment of tuberculosis. In addition, with thrombocytopenia patient condition reached a critical state.

After initiation of prednisolone-treatment up to suspicion of drug- induced thrombocytopenia (D-ITP) and switch of the anti- Tb-regimen the general condition improved. There was repetitive need for transfusion of thrombocytes.

Toxic hepatitis is a possible severe complication of anti-Tb-treatment. A critical evaluation of patients' medication and soon initiation of anti -Tb-treatment is necessary. Especially in patients coming from high tb-incidence regions with history of poor general condition and persisting fever the diagnosis of extrapulmonary tuberculosis and bone marrow infiltration should be taken into account.