Coinfección de tuberculosis y COVID-19 asociado a tromboembolismo pulmonar: presentación de un caso

Context

Currently, infection by the SARS-CoV-2 virus predominantly generates a respiratory infection, which can lead to acute and late complications, as well as mild or severe sequelae. A complication that has been evidenced is the state of hypercoagulability, such as pulmonary thromboembolism (PE) or deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

Clinical case

We present the case of a patient with a recent history of COVID-19 infection who consulted for dyspnea and pain in the left hemithorax, complementary images were taken showing a large cavern at the right pulmonary base and an electrocardiogram suggestive of pulmonary thromboembolism, a CT scan was taken with protocol for PET that confirms it and smear microscopies that report positive for pulmonary tuberculosis coinfection.

Discussion and conclusions

The formation of prothrombotic phenomena by COVID-19 has become a frequent complication, however, the coinfection of tuberculosis and COVID-19 is rare, this is due to a process of amplification of the deregulated immune response called «cytokine storm», which activates latent and hidden infections, in addition the use of immunosuppressive drugs in COVID-19 can lead to an expression of tuberculosis.

Tuberculosis infection should be suspected in an endemic environment together with persistence of symptoms after the resolution of the viral infection, symptomatic cases before the acute viral process or in cases of atypical radiographic findings; in these cases, HIV infection or infection should be ruled out. another bacterial coinfection.