[Disseminated tuberculosis in a patient with overlap syndrome, challenges in preventing]

Rev Med Inst Mex Seguro Soc. 2017 Sep-Oct;55(5):666-670.
[Article in Spanish]

Abstract

Patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases are at increased risk for developing infections and these are associated with increased morbidity and mortality from these diseases, especially in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic sclerosis and autoimmune inflammatory myopathies. The objective of this paper is to address the challenges in detecting latent tuberculosis in immunosuppressed patients and the initiation of prophylactic treatment because currently there are no well-defined guidelines indicating what action to take for detection and treatment; so far the available scientific evidence is scarce and some methodological shortcomings.

Los pacientes con enfermedades reumáticas autoinmunes tienen un elevado riesgo para el desarrollo de infecciones, y estas se asocian al incremento de la morbimortalidad de estas enfermedades, principalmente en pacientes con lupus eritematoso sistémico, artritis reumatoide, esclerosis sistémica y con miopatías inflamatorias autoinmunes. El objetivo de este trabajo es abordar los retos en la detección de tuberculosis latente en pacientes inmunosuprimidos y el inicio del tratamiento profiláctico ya que en la actualidad no existen lineamientos bien definidos que indiquen la conducta a seguir para su detección y tratamiento; por el momento la evidencia científica disponible es escasa y con algunas deficiencias metodológicas.

Keywords: Latent tuberculosis; Rheumatic diseases; Tuberculin test; Tuberculosis.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Latent Tuberculosis / diagnosis
  • Latent Tuberculosis / immunology
  • Tuberculosis, Miliary / complications
  • Tuberculosis, Miliary / diagnosis*
  • Tuberculosis, Miliary / immunology
  • Tuberculosis, Miliary / prevention & control
  • Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Diseases / complications*
  • Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Diseases / diagnosis