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Case Reports
. 2019 Aug 23;32(4):622-623.
doi: 10.1080/08998280.2019.1646599. eCollection 2019 Oct.

Pleural tuberculosis

Ashley Liou  1 , Carlos E Rodriguez-Castro  1 , Abel Rodriguez-Reyes  2 , Riyam Zreik  3 , Shirley Jones  1 , Whitney Prince  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Pleural tuberculosis

Ashley Liou et al. Proc (Bayl Univ Med Cent). .

Abstract

A 35-year-old woman with previously untreated latent tuberculosis was admitted to the hospital for management of a right-sided empyema. After a prolonged hospitalization and several interventions, including chest tubes, bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage, and a video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery, positive acid-fast bacilli cultures on the initial thoracentesis ultimately led to the diagnosis of pleural tuberculosis. This case highlights the importance of utilizing a combination of diagnostic tests to diagnose pleural tuberculosis, especially in the setting of a negative pleural adenosine deaminase level.

Keywords: Adenosine deaminase; pleural biopsy; pleural effusion; pleural tuberculosis.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
(a) Chest x-ray, anteroposterior view, demonstrating large, right-sided loculated effusion. (b) Sagittal section of CT chest similarly demonstrating right-sided loculated effusion without parenchymal disease.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Necrotizing granulomas (arrow). Hematoxylin and eosin stain, original magnification ×400.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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