Introduction: Pulmonary tuberculosis and lung cancer are still important public health problems and can occur simultaneously. In this article, we present the case of a 38-year-old patient treated for smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis.
Case report: During the third month of treatment, the patient developed respiratory distress and was found to have total atelectasis of the left lung. At rigid bronchoscopy, a lesion obstructing the left main bronchus was removed with a diode laser. Oncological treatment was started following the histological diagnosis of small cell bronchial carcinoma.
Conclusion: Pulmonary tuberculosis and bronchial carcinoma can occur at the same time and cause diagnostic confusion. The possibility should be considered in situations where both diseases are endemic.
Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.