A case of lung tuberculosis showing no chest radiograph findings with recurrent hemoptysis
Sekine, S.; Ishida, T.; Ohshima, K.; Ohtsuka, Y.; Munakata, M.
Kekkaku 81(9): 577-580
2006
ISSN/ISBN: 0022-9776 PMID: 17037391 Document Number: 596074
A 59-year-old male was referred to our hospital because of hemoptysis. A chest X-ray film and 7 mm-slice CT scan showed no abnormal finding. Bronchoscopy revealed hemorrhage in the right upper bronchus (B1a) Bronchial lavage of the lesion was performed, but Mycobacterium tuberculosis was not detected. Because of repeated hemoptysis, he was admitted to our hospital. Right bronchial artery angiograph showed vascular hyperplasia in the peripheral part of the upper lobal branch, and this lesion was suggested to be a bleeding point. There were no vascular malformations. Thin slice (0.5 mm-thick) CT scan showed mild infiltrative shadow in the right upper lobe. After admission, sputa smear for mycobacteria and PCR for M. tuberculosis became positive, and he was diagnosed as pulmonary tuberculosis. After starting antituberculous chemotherapy, hemoptysis disappeared, and sputa smear and culture for mycobacteria converted to negative. This case suggests that lung tuberculosis should be suspected in patients having hemoptysis, even though they had no chest X-ray film abnormality.