You are currently viewing a new version of our website. To view the old version click .
GERMS
  • GERMS is published by MDPI from Volume 25 Issue 4 (2025). Previous articles were published by another publisher in Open Access under a CC-BY (or CC-BY-NC-ND) licence, and they are hosted by MDPI on mdpi.com as a courtesy and upon agreement with the former publisher Infection Science Forum S.R.L..
  • Case Report
  • Open Access

Published: 30 September 2023

Acquired Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura as a Clinical Manifestation of Pulmonary Tuberculosis: A Case Report

,
and
1
Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Nephrology, Hospital Universitario San Ignacio, Carrera 7 #40-62, Bogotá DC 110231, Colombia
2
Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Carrera 7 #40-62, Bogotá DC 110231, Colombia
3
Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Intensive Care Unit, Hospital Universitario San Ignacio, Carrera 7 #40-62, Bogotá DC 110231, Colombia
4
Medical, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Carrera 7 #40-62, Bogotá DC 110231, Colombia

Abstract

Introduction: Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is a thrombotic microangiopathy associated with severe ADAMTS13 deficiency that can be potentially fatal if not treated in a timely manner. Case report: A 49-year-old previously healthy woman was admitted with a 3-month history of thoracoabdominal pain and headache associated with loss of appetite, emesis, nocturnal diaphoresis, and unintentional loss of 10 kg. On admission she presented anemia, thrombocytopenia, schistocytes in peripheral blood smear, and ADAMTS13 in 1.4%. Due to laboratory findings a diagnosis of TTP was established, and plasma exchange therapy and steroid pulses were started, with resolution of hematological alterations. Within the studies to determine etiology of TTP, pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) was found, neoplastic and autoimmune pathologies were excluded. The tetraconjugated treatment was initiated with optimal tolerance. Conclusions: Upon clinical suspicion of TTP, plasma exchange therapy should be initiated urgently; infectious, neoplastic, or autoimmune pathologies can be triggers; in this case, pulmonary TB was confirmed.

Article Metrics

Citations

Article Access Statistics

Multiple requests from the same IP address are counted as one view.