*[1]Adeyemo, A. T., 1Obadare, T. O., [2]Edward, S. S., 1Ibrahim, A. O., 1Irek, E. O., 1Amupitan, A. A., 2Olorunsogo, O. A., 1Anuforo, A. C., 2,3Obiajunwa, P. O., and 1,4Aboderin, A. O.
1Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife, Nigeria
2Department of Paediatrics, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife, Nigeria
3Department of Paediatrics, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria
4Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria
*Correspondence to: adeyemiadeyemo3@gmail.com; ORCiD: //orcid.org/0000–0003–3544–2530
Abstract:
Background: Pulmonary aspergillosis (PA) is common among patients with tuberculosis (TB). With both infections presenting with similar clinical and radiologic features, diagnosis of PA is often made too late or missed completely due to lack of clinical suspicion and poor diagnostic laboratory capacity for mycotic infections prevalent in our settings. We present a case of preventable mortality caused by delayed diagnosis and treatment of PA in a patient with pulmonary TB (PTB).
Case presentation: A 13-year-old female was diagnosed and treated for PTB, having received anti-TB regimen for 8 months in a mission hospital from where she was referred due to worsening cough, chest pain and progressive breathlessness. The patient was re-assessed and investigated, with GeneXpert detecting Mycobacterium tuberculosis, susceptible to rifampicin. Diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis complicated by right pneumothorax was made indicating an emergency thoracotomy and chest tube insertion and continuation of the first line anti-TB regimen. At about 2 weeks into admission, patients had features of superimposed acute bacterial sepsis with fever becoming high grade, marked neutrophilia with toxic granulation and elevated sepsis biomarker, and this necessitated empiric antibiotic treatment with parenteral meropenem and vancomycin. However, the patient only had mild clinical improvement following which there was progressively worsening respiratory symptoms and massive haemoptysis. Result of sputum fungal study was available on admission day 20 and revealed a growth of Aspergillus flavus. Treatment with intravenous voriconazole was however commenced rather late when the fungal respiratory disease could no longer be remedied. The patient died on admission day 23
Conclusion: Diagnosis of PA in patients with background TB is often made too late to guarantee timely and effective antifungal treatment with negative consequences on patients’ outcomes. Improving clinical and laboratory capacities is essential to reducing mortality from PA in healthcare facilities.
Keywords: pulmonary aspergillosis; tuberculosis; co-infection; voriconazole
Received Mar 22, 2022; Revised Apr 12, 2022; Accepted Apr 12, 2022
Copyright 2022 AJCEM Open Access. This article is licensed and distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attrition 4.0 International License <a rel=”license” href=”//creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/“, which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided credit is given to the original author(s) and the source. Editor-in-Chief: Prof. S. S. Taiwo
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