[Endoscopic contamination with Mycobacterium tuberculosis]

A 60-year-old woman who had been investigated and treated unsuccessfully for chronic cough was referred for a bronchoscopy. The cultures of bronchial aspirates were positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The radiological and endobronchial findings were typical of chronic bronchitis, but in the light of the positive cultures endobronchial tuberculosis was diagnosed and the patient was started on a standard 3-drug regimen. She developed a classical hypersensitivity reaction to isoniazid. Later the diagnosis had to be revised when molecular typing demonstrated contamination.