Tuberculosis Presenting as Multiple Vein Thrombosis in a Hospitalized Man

Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB) remains an infectious disease with a high prevalence worldwide and represents a major public health issue. Although venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a rare complication of this disease, it may be a potentially life-threatening event. A 58-year-old man was admitted due to hematemesis due to inflammation at the anastomosis site after a gastrectomy years ago. After 3 days in-hospital, he showed a peroneal deep vein thrombosis and superficial thrombosis of left cephalic vein. Although reduced mobility and lack of prophylactic heparin could explain vein thrombosis, a simple etiologic workup was performed and active tuberculosis was diagnosed. This case illustrates a rare and unusual presentation form of tuberculosis, a condition that remains now-a-days one of the leading infectious causes of death worldwide. The association between tuberculosis and VTE is rare, but it should be systematically investigated.