Tuberculosis and Venous Thromboembolism: a case series.
BACKGROUND
Tuberculosis remains an infectious disease with a high prevalence worldwide and represents a major public health issue. Although venous thromboembolism is a rare complication of this disease, it may be a potentially life-threatening event.
We report two cases of severe pulmonary tuberculosis associated with venous thromboembolism. A 38 year-old caucasian male that had a thromboembolic event as an unsual presentation form of tuberculosis and a 51 year-old caucasian male that developed deep venous thrombosis later in the course of the disease.


CONCLUSIONS
An association between inflamation induced by tuberculosis and a hypercoagulable state has been described. Therefore, the occurence of deep venous thrombosis or pulmonary embolic episods, should be considered in patients with tuberculosis particulary during the first weeks of treatment. The physician's awarness of these phenomena is important to an early diagnostic suspicion and prompt treatment in order to prevent fatal outcomes.
Goncalves
Ivone M
IM
Pneumology Department, Vila Nova de Gaia/Espinho Hospital Centre, Porto, Portugal.
Alves
Daniela Costa
DC
Carvalho
Aurora
A
do Ceu Brito
Maria
M
Calvario
Fernando
F
Duarte
Raquel
R