Tubercular Empyema Thoracic: An Acute Presentation with COVID-19 Co-infection
OD06-OD09
Correspondence
Dr. Sachin Gautam,
D-11, S2, 2nd Floor, Dilshad Colony, Delhi-110095, India.
E-mail: sachingautam26273@gmail.com
COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) pandemic is caused by a novel Coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2), which has received worldwide attention and most COVID-19 patients have respiratory symptoms and develop a mild disease. In addition, co-infection of SARS-CoV-2 with other respiratory infections of bacterial, other viral and fungal origin needs to be validated. The clinical features, course and treatment of tuberculosis (TB) patients with COVID-19 are unclear and understudied. There is paucity of literature on this co-infection. Here, authors present a case report of a 35-year-old diabetic Asian male patient who presented to the emergency department as COVID-19 positive with acute exacerbation of symptoms, who later developed respiratory distress and was eventually found to have a lung abscess with subsequent tubercular empyema thoracic on contrary to a severe COVID-19 pneumonia or a fungal infection. Contrast Enhanced Computed Tomography (CECT) chest along with Cartridge-Based Nuclei Acid Amplification Test (CBNAAT) of pleural fluid pus confirmed the tubercular lesion timely to aid the diagnosis and further course of management.