title: Disseminated tuberculosis in pregnancy unknown to doctors in Western Europe case presentation: 'part of the routine study in infertility'.
abstract: Tuberculosis in pregnancy is possibly increasing in Western Europe due to a higher incidence in immigrant women from endemic regions. Common in recent immigrants. Diagnosis during pregnancy is delayed because the disease is more frequently extra-pulmonary with few symptoms and western doctors are no longer familiar with signs and symptoms of tuberculosis. We report the case of a 28-year-old woman presenting in the 13th week of pregnancy with vaginal bleeding, respiratory symptoms including persistent coughing and fever since 1 month. Diagnosis was delayed because of doubts on taking x-rays during pregnancy, and only 6 days after admission chest x-ray and blood-cultures led to diagnose miliary tuberculosis. Despite tuberculostatic medication expulsion of an infected fetus and placenta occurred. Histological examination of the placenta confirmed tuberculosis in the placental tissue.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, UZA, Edegem, Belgium. yves.jacquemyn@uza.be
authors.forename: Yves
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jacquemyn
authors.forename: Christelle
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Van Casteren
authors.forename: Marloes
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Luijks
authors.forename: Cecile
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Colpaert
mesh_terms: D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D001530:Belgium; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants; D005184:Fallopian Tube Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D005333:Fetus / Q000473:pathology; D005869:Ghana / Q000208:ethnology; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D010920:Placenta / Q000473:pathology; D010922:Placenta Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D014391:Tuberculosis, Miliary / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal