Multifocal tuberculosis in the immunocompetent patient

Abstract

<b>Introduction:</b> Tuberculosis is a major public health problem in the world and in Morocco. Multifocal tuberculosis is defined as involvement of two non-contiguous extrapulmonary sites with or without pulmonary involvement. <b>Methods:</b> We report a retrospective study of 87 cases of multifocal tuberculosis in immunocompetent patients, collected at the respiratory diseases department of the Ibn Rochd University Hospital in Casablanca over an 18-year period from 2001 to 2021. <b>Results:</b> There were 54 women and 33 men. All our patients were correctly vaccinated with BCG.. Pulmonary tuberculosis was found in all cases; it was associated with pleural involvement in 39.2% of cases, mediastinal lymph node involvement in 24% of cases, peritoneal involvement in 19.4% of cases, peripheral lymph node involvement in 16, 4 % of cases, splenic in 14.8 % of cases, cold abscess of the thoracic wall in 12 % of cases, urogenital involvement in 10.4 % of cases, pericardial and cerebromeningeal involvement in 8.9 % of cases each and osteoarticular involvement in 7.4 % of cases.. The evolution under anti-tuberculosis treatment was favorable in 71% of cases. One patient presented a pulmonary tuberculosis relapse two years after the first attack. Two deaths occurred, one in respiratory distress secondary to a pneumothorax complicating a tuberculous miliary, the other following a multivisceral failure. <b>Conclusion:</b> Multifocal tuberculosis is often described as the prerogative of the immunocompromised, but through this work. Antituberculosis treatment must be initiated as soon as possible to avoid sometimes disastrous complications.