title: [Acute respiratory distress syndrome caused by tuberculosis].
abstract: The adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is rarely due to tuberculosis. Two new cases are reported here. Both were female patients, aged 33 and 41 years. The first, of North African origin, was admitted for epigastralgia, hyperpyrexia and intestinal problems. She underwent an exploratory laparotomy, which only showed oedematous mesenteries. Hepatic and lymph node biopsies revealed an ongoing tuberculosis. On the 4th postoperative day, she developed ARDS. Despite an initial period of improvement after proper treatment (antituberculous drugs, steroids, positive pressure ventilation) had been started, she died 27 days later. In the other patient, smoker and alcoholic, the diagnosis of tuberculosis relied only on bacterial culture of various excretions. She also died after 8 days of treatment. In both patients, the symptoms were atypical. The febrile non cardiogenic pulmonary oedema of sudden onset masked the typical miliary mottling pattern on chest X-rays. The life-threatening character of this condition requires that rapid histological studies are carried out to obtain an early diagnosis. Indeed, the precociousness of appropriate treatment seems to be the essential element of the prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Service de Réanimation Polyvalente, Hôpital de Gonesse.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Marsepoil
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Griguere
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mahassini
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Levesque
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Blin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D014395:Peritonitis, Tuberculous / Q000150:complications*; D011379:Prognosis; D012128:Respiratory Distress Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000150:complications*
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents
vernacular_title: Syndrome de détresse respiratoire aiguë d'origine tuberculeuse.