Multiple tuberculous nodules with metachronous changes: a case report

BMC Research Notes

Mitsuhiro Kamimura¹  Yoichiro Hamamoto¹  Atsuto Mouri¹  Kazushige Wakuda¹  Shinjiro Takeoka¹  Tatsuya Ibe¹  Munehisa Fukusumi¹ 

[1] Department of Pulmonary Medicine, National Hospital Organization Disaster Medical Center, 3256 Midori-cho, Tachikawa, Japan

关键词: Spontaneous regression;    Multifocal nodules;    Pulmonary tuberculosis;   

Others  :  1141891
DOI  :  10.1186/1756-0500-6-320

 received in 2013-04-23, accepted in 2013-08-08,  发布年份 2013

【 摘 要 】

Background

Spontaneous regression of lesions occurs in non-infectious benign diseases, such as sarcoidosis, as well as in infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis. Lung cancer and malignant lymphoma, on the other hand, rarely follow a similar course. We report a rare case of lung tuberculosis that presented with multiple nodules with metachronous changes in size.

Case presentation

We describe the case of a 50-year-old immunocompetent Japanese man with pulmonary tuberculosis in the form of multifocal nodules. He came to our hospital because of a chest X-ray abnormality. During the course of observation, some nodules reduced while others enlarged in size. Two years after the first visit, fever and pleural effusion appeared. The sputum examination turned out to be positive for tuberculosis. A course of anti-tubercular agents resolved the pleural effusion and multifocal nodules.

Conclusion

Differences in the manner of granuloma formation suggest that the local immune response can be different even in the same lung field.

【 授权许可】

   
2013 Fukusumi et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

【 图 表 】

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