Myocardial tuberculosis: A rare case report

Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the most common causes of mortality and morbidity globally, with Indian subcontinent having quite a large number of TB cases. TB can involve any organ system in humans; however, the disease affecting the cardiovascular system is rare. On the other hand, myocardial tuberculosis is a serious entity and can, unfortunately, be fatal if the diagnosis is missed or delayed. Therefore, the possibility of TB involving the myocardium should always be considered in areas with a high prevalence of TB, like the Indian subcontinent. Anti-TB therapy (with corticosteroids in some cases), along with early detection and suspicion, is proven to be quite effective in management and cure in most cases. We describe a case of sputum AFB (acid-fast bacilli) positive pulmonary TB with dilated cardiomyopathy, and impaired/decreased left ventricular systolic function, which gradually improved after anti-tubercular decongestive therapy.