Tuberculosis in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes.

AIM

The purpose of our study was to describe radiological manifestations of tuberculosis in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Chest radiographs and CTs of 12 patients with tuberculosis among 195 consecutive patients with myelodysplastic syndrome, proved by bone marrow biopsy, were reviewed. Six of the 12 patients presented with tuberculosis and were subsequently found to have myelodysplastic syndrome.

RESULTS

Chest radiographs and CTs revealed pulmonary tuberculosis in all 12 patients and extrapulmonary tuberculous involvement in six (50%). Initial chest radiographic findings of pulmonary tuberculosis included a primary pattern (n = 6), a post-primary pattern (n = 3), a miliary pattern (n = 1), atypical infiltrates (n = 1) and normal radiograph (n = 1). Tuberculosis involved extrathoracic lymph nodes (n = 5), liver (n = 2), spleen (n = 2), kidney (n = 2), bowel (n = 2), pericardium (n = 2) peritoneum (n = 1) and rib (n = 1).

CONCLUSION

Tuberculosis is a relatively common cause of infection in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes. The radiological appearance of pulmonary tuberculosis in myelodysplastic syndromes is often a primary pattern, and there is frequently extrapulmonary involvement.