In-hospital Airborne Tuberculous Infection from a Lesion of Calcified Pleural Thickening during Thoracic Surgery in a Patient with Lung Cancer

Kentaro Akata; Toshinori Kawanami; Kazuhiro Yatera; Takashi Tachiwada; Masaru Takenaka; Shingo Noguchi; Kei Yamasaki; Chinatsu Nishida; Takeshi Orihashi; Hiroshi Ishimoto; Chiharu Yoshii; Fumihiro Tanaka; Hiroshi Mukae

doi:10.2169/internalmedicine.54.4317

CASE REPORTS

In-hospital Airborne Tuberculous Infection from a Lesion of Calcified Pleural Thickening during Thoracic Surgery in a Patient with Lung Cancer

Kentaro Akata, Toshinori Kawanami, Kazuhiro Yatera, Takashi Tachiwada, Masaru Takenaka, Shingo Noguchi, Kei Yamasaki, Chinatsu Nishida, Takeshi Orihashi, Hiroshi Ishimoto, Chiharu Yoshii, Fumihiro Tanaka, Hiroshi Mukae

Author information

Kentaro Akata
Department of Respiratory Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan
Toshinori Kawanami
Department of Respiratory Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan
Kazuhiro Yatera
Department of Respiratory Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan
Takashi Tachiwada
Department of Respiratory Medicine, Wakamatsu Hospital of the University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan
Masaru Takenaka
Second Department of Surgery, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan
Shingo Noguchi
Department of Respiratory Medicine, Wakamatsu Hospital of the University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan
Kei Yamasaki
Department of Respiratory Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan
Chinatsu Nishida
Department of Respiratory Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan
Takeshi Orihashi
Department of Respiratory Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan
Hiroshi Ishimoto
Department of Respiratory Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan
Chiharu Yoshii
Department of Respiratory Medicine, Wakamatsu Hospital of the University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan
Fumihiro Tanaka
Second Department of Surgery, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan
Hiroshi Mukae
Department of Respiratory Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan

Keywords: Mycobacterium tuberculosis, old tuberculous pleurisy, calcified pleural lesion, surgical procedure, nosocomial infection, airborne infection

JOURNAL OPEN ACCESS

2015 Volume 54 Issue 20 Pages 2699-2703

DOI https://doi.org/10.2169/internalmedicine.54.4317

Details

Abstract

A 75-year-old Japanese man underwent thoracic surgery to treat a large lung cancer lesion in the left upper lobe with calcified pleural thickening. Postoperatively, viable Mycobacterium tuberculosis was detected in the margin of the resected thickened calcified pleural lesion. Therefore, an infection control investigation of medical staff who had come in contact with the patient was conducted. Consequently, two of the 14 healthcare professionals who had been in the operating room were diagnosed with latent tuberculous infections. Therefore, strict precautions against airborne infections are required to prevent the in-hospital transmission of M. tuberculosis in such cases.

Corresponding author

Register with J-STAGE for free!