Pulmonary tuberculosis mimicking numerous lung metastases — a case study
Abstract
Introduction: Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by tuberculosis bacilli. Presently, the incidence of tuberculosis is deemed low in Poland, i.e. less than 20 cases per 100,000 residents, even though this value still exceeds the EU average. Most often it affects the lungs, although it may also develop in other organs. The diagnosis is based on the positive test result of tuberculosis bacilli breeding on the Löwen-stein-Jensen’s egg medium. Under no circumstances may an X-ray image of the chest be construed as the ultimate diagnostic confirmation of tuberculosis, though.
Case description: The case of a 68-year old woman, put under diagnostic procedure due to an abnormal X-ray image of the lungs, thereby giving rise to the suspicion of numerous metastases of unknown origin, was addressed. The initially suspected neoplastic disease with lung metastases, following comprehensive pulmonary diagnostics, ultimately turned out to be pulmonary tuberculosis, despite presenting a non-char-acteristic, radiological image.
Conclusions. Completion of a comprehensive, differential diagnostics is always a prudent approach to be adopted, ultimately with a view to establishing the patient’s status beyond a reasonable doubt.
Keywords: lung metastasestuberculosisthyroid cancer
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