Miliary brain tuberculosis in an infant

• Main Authors: Le Anh Duc, MD, PhD, Doan-Van Ngoc, MD, PhD, Nguyen Ngoc Trung, MD, PhD, Nguyen-Van Sang, MD, PhD, Tran Phan Ninh, MD, PhD, Tran-Van Giang, MD, Thieu-Thi Tra My, MD, Tran Hoa, MD, PhD, Nguyen Minh Duc, MD, MSc
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2021-10-01
• Series: Radiology Case Reports
• Subjects: Miliary tuberculosis; Central nervous system; Brain tuberculosis; Children
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1930043321004763

Tuberculosis remains prevalent in developing countries. Central nervous system tuberculosis often occurs secondary to pulmonary tuberculosis, transmitted through the bloodstream, and has a high mortality rate. Meningitis is the most common presentation of central nervous system tuberculosis, followed by tuberculoma, tuberculous brain abscess, and miliary tuberculosis. In this report, we present a case of miliary tuberculosis in a 3 month-old boy. The patient had a fever and was breathless for 1 month. The patient appeared cyanotic, experienced a seizure, and became comatose. Chest computed tomography scan suggested a pulmonary miliary tuberculosis abscess in the right lung and mediastinal lymph node tuberculosis. Brain magnetic resonance imaging showed the lesions were homogeneously enhancing tiny 2-3 mm nodules characteristic of miliary TB. Polymerase chain reaction of the cerebrospinal fluid and sputum samples confirmed tuberculosis. The patient died 1 month after diagnosis.