A Case of Tuberculosis-associated Hemophagocytic Syndrome during Antituberculosis Medication for Tuberculous Pericarditis

A 63-year old woman was admitted to our hospital for an evaluation of thrombocytopenia. She had been diagnosed with tuberculous pericarditis three months earlier in a local clinic and treated with anti-tuberculosis medication. Two months later, thrombocytopenia developed. The medication was subsequently stopped because it was suspected that the anti-tuberculosis medication, particularly rifampin, might have caused the severe platelet reduction. However, the thrombocytopenia was more aggravated. A bone marrow biopsy was performed, which showed moderate amounts of histiocytes with active hemophagocytosis. This finding strongly suggested that the critical thrombocytopenia had been caused by hemophagocytic syndrome, not by the side effects of the anti-tuberculosis medication. Furthermore, the development of hemophagocytosis might have been due to an uncontrolled tuberculosis infection and its associated aberrant immunity. Therefore, she was started with both standard anti-tuberculosis medication and chemotherapy using etoposide plus steroid. One month after the initiation of treatment, the thrombocytopenia had gradually improved and she was discharged in a tolerable condition. At the third month of the follow-up, her platelet level and ferritin, the activity marker of hemophagocytic syndrome, was within the normal range.

결핵성 심막염으로 항결핵약을 복용하던 중 발생한 혈구 탐식증후군 1예

결핵과 연관된 혈구 탐식 증후군은 매우 드물며 사망률이 50% 정도로 높은 질환이다. 저자들은 결핵성 심막염 진단 후 2달간 항결핵약을 복용하고 있는 환자에서 지속적인 혈소판 감소증을 보이고 골수검사에서 혈구탐식증을 보였으나 이전에 보고된 증례와는 다르게 경한 임상증상을 보이면서 항결핵약제 및 스테로이드와 etoposide의 병합 항암 치료에 빠른 호전을 보인 예를 경험하였기에 이를 문헌 고찰과 함께 보고하는 바이다.