Case Report

Simultaneous Occurrence of Hodgkin Disease and Tuberculosis: Report of Three Cases

Authors: Luciano JM Costa, MD, Christina T. Gallafrio, MD, Francisco OS França, MD, Auro del Giglio, MD, FACP

Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB) has been described in association with malignancies including Hodgkin disease (HD). We report three cases of simultaneous occurrence of TB and HD. In two of these cases clinical symptoms improved after TB treatment was instituted and before HD was diagnosed. Fever recurrence in one case and persistence of mediastinal lymphadenopathy in the other, however, prompted consideration of an additional diagnosis. Interestingly, in one these two patients, both TB and HD diagnosis were obtained from the same lymph node. Since both diseases share many symptoms and signs, physicians faced with initial therapeutic failure when caring for HD and TB patients should be aware of the possibility of the simultaneous occurrence of both diseases.

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