Tuberculosis in hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients: case report and review of the literature.
The literature describing tuberculosis (TB) in hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients is scant, even in countries where TB is common. We describe a case of pulmonary TB in a patient who underwent HSCT and review the English language literature on this subject. An extensive PubMed and Ovid search was undertaken for the period January 1980 to March 2009; the search terms used were 'Mycobacterium tuberculosis' or 'tuberculosis', in combination with 'hematopoietic stem cell transplantation' or 'bone marrow transplantation'. The patient in the present case report underwent allogeneic transplantation and developed TB 8 days after his HSCT. The patient had received vaccination against TB in childhood. During the year prior to the HSCT he had had contact with a relative who had pulmonary TB. On day 3 of anti-TB treatment he developed pericarditis. The patient received anti-TB treatment for 6 months without major problems. From the literature review, we found 34 related studies, 25 on the clinical manifestations of TB. Most of the reports were from Asia (48%), and the incidence of TB varied from 0.0014% in the USA to 16% in Pakistan. TB occurred at between +21 and +1410 days post-HSCT (257.2 days the median), and the lung was the organ most frequently involved. Mortality varied from 0% to 50% and was higher in allogeneic HSCT. There is no consensus regarding screening with the tuberculin skin test or primary prophylaxis for latent TB, and further research into this is necessary in developing countries with a high prevalence of TB.
Russo
Rachel Leite
RL
Department of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Brazil.
Dulley
Frederico Luiz
FL
Suganuma
Liliana
L
França
Ivan Leonardo
IL
Yasuda
Maria Aparecida Shikanai
MA
Costa
Silvia Figueiredo
SF
D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001938:Brazil; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010495:Pericarditis, Tuberculous / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D055815:Young Adult
D000995:Antitubercular Agents