Acute respiratory distress syndrome due to miliary tuberculosis in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis under corticosteroid therapy

S. Pavlatos; M. Psallas; K. Makrilakis; J. Doupis; C. Stathi; E. Nikolakopoulou; N. Katsilambros

doi:10.1016/j.ejim.2003.12.003

Acute respiratory distress syndrome due to miliary tuberculosis in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis under corticosteroid therapy

Eur J Intern Med. 2004 Feb;15(1):62-64. doi: 10.1016/j.ejim.2003.12.003.

Authors

S. Pavlatos¹, M. Psallas, K. Makrilakis, J. Doupis, C. Stathi, E. Nikolakopoulou, N. Katsilambros

Affiliation

¹ 1st Department of Propaedeutic Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Athens, Laiko General Hospital, 17 Ag. Thoma Str, 3 Plateia Pedon 11527, Athens, Greece.

PMID: 15066653
DOI: 10.1016/j.ejim.2003.12.003

Abstract

We report the case of a 65-year-old woman with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) under corticosteroid therapy who presented with high fever and dyspnea and who, within 48 h, developed acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) due to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). Miliary tuberculosis is a rare cause of ARDS; however, because of its ominous outcome, it should be included in the differential diagnosis of immunocompromised patients with rapidly worsening respiratory discomfort. A brief review of miliary tuberculosis as a cause of ARDS is presented.