Pulmonary tuberculosis presenting as acute respiratory distress syndrome and pulmonary embolism

Abstract

This series describes six pediatric cases who presented as severe acute respiratory illness during the pandemic of COVID-19 with high D-dimer levels. All six patients tested negative for novel coronavirus. They were diagnosed as having tuberculosis (TB) on detailed investigations; high D-dimer levels are one of the most important indicators of the pulmonary embolism. Pulmonary embolism is a rare presentation of TB, and this study emphasizes the need of keeping TB as an important differential diagnosis of those who present as acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Keywords

• acute respiratory distress syndrome
• pulmonary embolism
• tuberculosis