Life-threatening ventricular arrhythmia as first presentation of Tuberculosis-Early diagnosis and successful treatment: A case series.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis of the myocardium is an extremely rare entity with few published case reports. Diagnosis is often delayed, and outcomes are unfavorable: particularly when cardiac involvement has been the presenting entity. METHODS: Four patients, aged 24-51 years, presented with life-threatening ventricular arrhythmia (VA). None had a previous history of tuberculosis or any structural heart disease. Electrocardiogram during sinus rhythm and Echocardiography did not show any gross abnormality. All patients underwent contrast-enhanced computer tomography of thorax and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. Attempts to obtain tissue (cardiac or associated mediastinal lymph nodes) were associated with increased risk to the patients thus indirect evidence of Mantoux skin test and interferon gamma release assay results were used to aid diagnosis. RESULTS: Based on clinicoradiological findings, patients were put on antitubercular therapy (ATT). Supportive therapy included antiarrhythmic drugs (all patients), catheter ablation (two patients), and implantable cardioverter defibrillator (one patient). Arrhythmia suppression was achieved in all patients predischarge. On a follow-up of 2-24 months, none of the patients has had any recurrence of arrhythmia. ATT and antiarrhythmic drug therapy have been stopped in two patients who have completed the 6 months of ATT. Their radiological lesions showed resolution. CONCLUSIONS: Myocardial tuberculosis presenting as life-threatening VA in a rare but definite clinical entity. A high index of suspicion and cardiac imaging can lead to early diagnosis and appropriate treatment that ensures survival in all patients.

Obstructing Granuloma in Main Pulmonary Trunk.

A patient with main pulmonary artery mass may have severe symptoms and warrants urgent surgical management, whereas in a stable patient with a diagnosis amenable to medical treatment, medical management should be started while monitoring the size of the lesion. We report a case in which the patient experienced severe right heart dysfunction due to obstruction of the main pulmonary artery, diagnosed as a probable thrombus, and the patient was taken for urgent surgical excision, later diagnosed as tuberculoma on histopathologic examination.

[Surgical treatment of a ruptured aneurysm of the left common iliac artery in a patient with miliary tuberculosis]. / Traitement chirurgical d'un anévrisme rompu de l'artère iliaque commune gauche chez un patient présentant une tuberculose miliaire.

Tuberculous aneurysms of the common iliac artery are rare. Only a few cases have been reported in the literature. We report a new case in a 47-year-old man admitted for abdominal pain and persistent fever. The aneurysm was evoked in the duplex ultrasound scan and confirmed by computed tomographic angiography. The patient underwent an extra-anatomic femorofemoral bypass with a dacron prosthesis and ligation of the aneurysmal artery. The postoperative course was marked by febrile dyspnea related to the tuberculous miliary found on the chest x-ray. Histological analysis of the operative specimens confirmed the tuberculous origin of the aneurysm. The patient was put on antituberculous drugs and the follow-up was uneventful. With a follow-up of four months, the patient was asymptomatic and the bypass was well patent.

Increased Diagnostic Yield of Tuberculous Serositis by Using Serous Fluid Drainage Flocky Precipitate (SFDFP) as a Testing Sample.

A definitive diagnosis of tuberculosis serositis (TS) is still challenging. Our preliminary practice found that Serous Fluid Drainage Flocky Precipitate (SFDFP) was a useful testing sample to diagnose TS. We designed this study to assess the diagnostic performance of SFDPF for TS compared with conventional bacteriology methods on serous fluid (SF). A cohort study was conducted from July 2014 to April 2016. Patients with suspected TS were consecutively screened. SF and SFDFP were collected and tested by Ziehl-Neelsen stain, MTB culture, and Xpert/RIF assay. We compared the diagnostic performance of SF and SFDFP in several test settings. Through this study, 85 patients were enrolled, of whom 70 (82.4%) were confirmed TS or highly probable TS, 13 (15.3%) were none-TS and 2 (2.4%) indeterminate results were ruled out. The overall sensitivity using both SFDFP and SF was significantly higher than each (60% vs. 48% and 41%, p < 0.05). SFDFP and SF samples had similar diagnostic performance (p < 0.05). No false positive was detected in this study. We concluded that SFDFP is a reliable testing sample for diagnosing tuberculous serositis. SFDFP may significantly improve the diagnostic yield as a supplement to conventional tests.

A 38-Year-Old Man With a 2-Month History of Fever, Cough, Palpitations, and Weight Loss.

CASE PRESENTATION: A 38-year-old man of Indian origin, who migrated to Greece 13 years prior to presentation, was admitted to our hospital with a 2-month history of nonprogressive, intermittent (mostly evening), low-grade (up to 38.5°C) fever, accompanied by night sweats, dry cough, mild dyspnea on exertion (modified Medical Research Council Dyspnea Scale grade 1), anorexia, fatigue, and weight loss of 10 kg. He also experienced continuous palpitations, which were regular, not associated with chest pain or dizziness, and aggravated on exertion. He had not taken any medication for his condition, except for antipyretic agents, nor had he sought medical advice. He was a nonsmoker, had a history of past alcohol dependence, and had been hospitalized twice for acute pancreatitis due to hypertriglyceridemia. He had also been diagnosed with diabetes mellitus, presumably poorly controlled because he mentioned not taking any medication or having regular follow-up.

[Tuberculous mycotic aneurism of the aorta: a case report of haemoptysis.] / Emoftoe per aneurisma micotico dell'aorta toracica con fistolizzazione bronchiale in una paziente con tubercolosi polmonare.

Mycotic aneurysm secondary to tuberculous infection (TB) of the aorta is a rare and life-threatening disease. We report a case report of a 78-year-old woman with a tuberculous mycotic aortic aneurysm (TBAA). Early diagnosis and a combination of surgical intervention (aortic reconstruction and extensive excision of the infected field) and prolonged antituberculous drug therapy provide long-term survival without evidence of recurrence after tuberculous aortic involvement.

An unusual case of mycobacterium tuberculous coronary arteritis and thrombosis resulting in acute myocardial infarction.

Tuberculosis (TB) is a prevalent infection worldwide and an endemic infection in Singapore. The most common presentation is that of pulmonary tuberculosis. Extra pulmonary tuberculosis usually involves the lymph nodes, pleura, central nervous system, or abdominal cavity. Involvement of the heart is rare (0.14-2% of TB cases), and when it is involved, it tends to be in the pericardium or myocardium. Here, a rare case of sudden death due to tuberculous coronary arteritis with tuberculous coronary thrombosis resulting in acute myocardial infarction is presented.

Treatment of tuberculous aortic pseudoaneurysm associated with vertebral tuberculosis: A case series and a literature review.

RATIONALE: Tuberculous aortic pseudoaneurysm associated with vertebral tuberculosis is a rare disease but with very high mortality. We review the literature and find 19 reports with 22 patients. Here we report three cases with vertebral tuberculosis, who also have tuberculous pseudoaneurysm of the aorta. These patients were treated by different methods. We try to analyze the epidemiology, pathogenesis, presentation, and management of this disease to find the best treatment. PATIENT CONCERNS: The patients presented with different symptoms such as pain (chest, abdominal or back), fever, blood volume reduction or hemorrhagic shock symptoms. Large mass also could be observed by imaging. In addition to clinical manifestations, enhanced computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging could also help the diagnosis of this disease. DIAGNOSES: Tuberculous aortic pseudoaneurysm associated with vertebral tuberculosis. INTERVENTIONS: Three patients were treated with anti-tuberculosis(TB) drugs or combined with different sequences surgical treatment: Case 1 refused to receive pseudoaneurysm surgery and only had anti-TB drug treatment; Case 2 received thoracic spinal surgery first; Case 3 received endovascular stent grafting. OUTCOMES: Two patients (case 1 and case 2) who refused to undergo aneurysm surgery died. The last patient (case 3) underwent endovascular repair and antibiotic therapy for tuberculosis, and the postoperative course was uneventful; the patient recovered and survived. LESSONS: Once the diagnosis of tuberculous pseudoaneurysm is confirmed, surgical treatment should be provided immediately combined with anti-tuberculosis drugs. The aim of the treatment is to save lives, prevent relapse, and facilitate the return to normal life, regardless of the size of the pseudoaneurysm. The pseudoaneurysm should be treated first to prevent aneurysm rupture before the vertebral tuberculosis surgery.

Mycobacterium bovis-induced Aneurysm after Intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guérin Therapy: A Case Study and Literature Review.

Mycobacterium bovis infection after intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) therapy is rare. A 65-year-old Japanese man with history of bladder cancer and intravesical BCG therapy, presented with low-grade fever. An aneurysm with perianeurysmal fluid was suspected and endovascular aortic repair was performed. After 160 days, he developed blood-streaked sputum and computed tomography images revealed that the perianeurysmal fluid area was increasing in size. A multiplex polymerase chain reaction using sputum identified M. bovis. Treatment with anti-tuberculosis drugs reduced the size of the perianeurysmal fluid area. After intravesical BCG therapy, the possibility of M. bovis infection should be considered, thus further investigations are required.

New insights on tuberculous aortitis.

OBJECTIVE: Aortitis is an exceedingly rare manifestation of tuberculosis. We describe 11 patients with tuberculous aortitis (TA). METHODS: Multicenter medical charts of patients hospitalized between 2003 and 2015 with TA in Paris, France, were reviewed. Demographic, medical history, laboratory, imaging, pathologic findings, treatment, and follow-up data were extracted from medical records. TA was considered when aortitis was diagnosed in a patient with active tuberculosis. RESULTS: Eleven patients (8 women; median age, 44.6 years) with TA were identified during this 12-year period. No patient had human immunodeficiency virus infection. Tuberculosis was active in all cases, with a median delay of 18 months between the first symptoms and diagnosis. At disease onset, vascular signs were mainly claudication, asymmetric blood pressure, and diminished distal pulses. Constitutional symptoms or extravascular signs were present in all patients at some point. Aortic pseudoaneurysm was the most frequent lesion, but three patients had isolated inflammatory aortic stenosis. TA appeared as extension from a contiguous infection in only three cases. Tuberculosis was considered because of clinical features, tuberculin skin or QuantiFERON-TB Gold (Quest Diagnostics, Madison, NJ) test results, pathologic findings, and improvement on antituberculosis therapy. A definite Mycobacterium tuberculosis identification was made in only three cases. All patients received antituberculosis therapy for 6 to 12 months. Surgery including Bentall procedures, aortic bypass, and open abdominal aneurysm repair was performed at diagnosis in eight patients. Seven patients received steroids as an adjunct therapy. All patients clinically improved under treatment. No patients died for a median follow-up duration of 4 years. CONCLUSIONS: TA may result in aneurysms contiguous to regional adenitis but also in isolated inflammatory aortic stenosis. Steroids may be associated with antituberculosis therapy for inflammatory stenotic lesions. Surgery is indicated for aneurysms and in case of worsening stenotic lesions despite anti-inflammatory drugs. No patient died after such combined treatment strategy.

Tuberculous myocarditis is not always fatal: Report of three confirmed cases with uneventful outcome.

Tuberculosis (TB) is a leading cause of death worldwide. It can affect any organ. However, cardiac involvement is extremely rare. Anti-TB therapy has been proved to be effective and curative in majority of TB cases except TB myocarditis, where it is found to be fatal. We describe three cases with confirmed TB with impaired left ventricular systolic function and low ejection fraction. All three cases improved clinically and left ventricular function returned to normal within a few weeks after the commencement of TB therapy.

Disseminated Mycotic Aneurysms following Intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guérin Therapy for Bladder Cancer: Case Discussion and Systematic Treatment Algorithm.

Numerous case reports have highlighted the relationship between bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) therapy and development of systemic mycotic aneurysms but none have established a management algorithm in patients with suspected vascular dissemination of Mycobacterium bovis. Delay in diagnosis of this disease process will lead to delays in initiation of antimycobacterium treatment to prevent dissemination into other arterial beds and potentially complicate effective surgical treatment leading to aneurysmal rupture and other devastating vascular consequences. Given the increasing number of reported cases in the literature and the ongoing, standard of care utilization of BCG for bladder cancer, we believe that a systematic approach to the management of patients with suspected BCG-related mycotic aneurysms should be set in place to prevent misdiagnosis and delays in treatment. In this report, we discuss the presentation, work-up, and report our treatment algorithm of a patient who developed diffuse peripheral mycotic aneurysms following BCG therapy for bladder cancer.

[The physical examination - a vanishing art?] / Die klinische Untersuchung ­ ein Auslaufmodell?

This report describes the case of a 63-year-old female patient who presented with progressive dyspnea to a specialized internal medicine practice. Prior consultations with her primary care physician and a cardiologist followed by hospitalizations in an acute care hospital and in a specialist clinic for cardiology had not yielded a conclusive diagnosis. During the physical examination, significant bilateral lower extremity edema, as well as pronounced jugular venous distention was noted while in a seated position. This prompted further targeted diagnostic examination and testing and resulted in the final diagnosis of constrictive pericarditis of tuberculous origin.The establishment of the diagnosis is discussed in the context of increasingly technologized medical practice, where clinical skills and the significance of the patient history and physical examination are declining. In addition, we discuss the problem of less common diseases of the myo- and pericardium with primarily diastolic (constrictive or restrictive) dysfunction being overlooked in routine cardiological diagnostic procedures, with a focus on coronary heart disease, valve disorders and the impairment of systolic ventricular function ("ejection fraction").