title: Pitfalls with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA).
abstract: A 39-year-old Ugandan student is described presenting with general malaise, fever and a pulmonary infiltrate. Open lung biopsy showing infarction and positive ANCA lead to a diagnosis of Wegener's granulomatosis and a treatment with immunosuppressive drugs was instituted. Five weeks after admission, however, sputum cultures turned out to be positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The importance of ANCA-interpretation and the possibility of false positive results is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Sint-Vincentius Hospital, Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: De Clerck
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Van Offel
authors.forename: W A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Smolders
authors.forename: F A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Empsten
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Bridts
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bourgeois
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Van Marck
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Timmermans
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Stevens
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000276:immunology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D014890:Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000276:immunology*; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies