An elderly case of tuberculous pleuritis with the onset of refractory pleural effusion after acute hepatitis B

Abstract

A 71-year-old man was told he had liver dysfunction at a screening in May 2010. He was diagnosed with acute hepatitis B and admitted to a local hospital. His hepatitis improved and he was discharged in July. However, he subsequently developed refractory pleural effusion. He was admitted to Akita City Hospital in the end of September. Tuberculous pleuritis was diagnosed based on a positive culture test and polymerase chain reaction test of the pleural effusion. After treatment with antituberculous drugs, the pleural effusion improved. As for the mechanism of onset of the tuberculous pleuritis, endogenous revival of tuberculosis with decreased immunocompetence associated with aging was suspected, and the possibility of involvement of acute hepatitis B could not be ruled out. We herein report a case of tuberculous pleuritis that occurred after acute hepatitis B.