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An unusual cause of acute abdomen following allogeneic transplantation: a zoonotic disease revisited

Bone Marrow Transplantation volume 41, pages 1069–1070 (2008)Cite this article

Allogeneic haematopoietic SCT (Allo-HSCT) recipients are expected to be particularly prone to developing tuberculosis. However, several centres have reported a varying and often surprisingly low incidence of this disease even in endemic populations, with no reported cases of Mycobacterium bovis, apart from disseminated bacille Calmette–Guerin.1, 2, 3

A 31-year-old Mexican woman was diagnosed with AML when she was admitted with a 2-week history of fevers above 38 °C and neutropenia. Four years before, she had been treated for severe acquired aplastic anaemia with antithymocyte globulin and other immunosuppressants. At the time of admission there were no localizing signs of infection. Extensive microbiological and radiological investigations did not identify a cause for the fever. Despite institution of broad-spectrum antibiotics and the empiric use of liposomal amphotericin, she remained pyrexial.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to all the nursing staff in the Ruth Myles Unit for their excellent service and to the physicians from the departments of respiratory medicine and infectious diseases for their valuable advice in the management of this extremely challenging case.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Haematology and Stem Cell Transplantation, St George's Hospital Medical School, London, UK

    H C E Buyck, R Holliman, L O'Regan, F Willis & S Chakrabarti

  2. Departments of Microbiology, Histology and Radiology, St George's Hospital Medical School, London, UK. E-mail: suparno@doctors.org.uk,

    R Holliman, J Else, S Grubnic & J Marsh

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  1. H C E Buyck
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Buyck, H., Holliman, R., Else, J. et al. An unusual cause of acute abdomen following allogeneic transplantation: a zoonotic disease revisited. Bone Marrow Transplant 41, 1069–1070 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/bmt.2008.29

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