Tuberculosis and invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in a young woman with a myelodysplastic syndrome.

Abstract

A 29-year-old Chinese woman developed pyrexia, multiple skin abscesses and bilateral fine nodular lung infiltrates about 3 months after the commencement of therapy for idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). Pseudomonas aeroginosa was isolated from the abscesses but multiple blood and sputum cultures, as well as a broncho-alveolar lavage did not yield any microorganisms. The persistence of fever and pulmonary infiltrates warranted an open lung biopsy which provided a definitive diagnosis of tuberculous-aspergillus granulomatous lung disease. Bone marrow re-examination revised the primary haematological disorder to that of a trisomy 8 associated myelodysplastic syndrome.