Pulmonary Tuberculosis Presenting as Diffuse Alveolar Hemorrhage.

Abstract

Hemoptysis is a common presentation of pulmonary tuberculosis; however, diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH) is a rare association. DAH is a life-threatening medical condition which presents with hemoptysis, anemia, diffuse radiographic pulmonary infiltrates, and acute respiratory distress.[1] It is usually associated with autoimmune diseases such as systemic vasculitides, systemic lupus erythematosus, anti-glomerular basement membrane (GBM) disease, certain malignancies, and infections.[2,3] Cytomegalovirus, adenovirus, invasive aspergillosis, mycoplasma, influenza, and even staphylococcus infection have been associated with DAH.[3] However, pulmonary tuberculosis causing DAH has rarely been reported in the literature.