Case presentation: Tuberculosis in a newborn infant

N. Phattraprayoon, B. Tam, Z. Pavlova, R. Ramanathan and L. Paquette∗ | JNPM 2012;

Abstract. We present a case of a neonate born in the United States who developed hypoxemic respiratory failure, significant hepatomegaly, pancytopenia, and conjugated hyperbilirubinemia. It was suspected that she had hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH). However, she had disseminated tuberculosis. It is imperative that tuberculosis is considered in the differential diagnosis of neonatal respiratory failure, abnormal blood cell counts, elevated bilirubin, and/or hepatomegaly of unknown etiology.

*Corresponding Author: 

Dr. Lisa Paquette, Center for Fetal and Neonatal Medicine, USC Division of Neonatal Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, 4650 Sunset Blvd MS 31, Los Angeles, CA 90027-6062, USA. Tel.: +1 323 361 6300; Fax: +1 323 361 7927; E-mail: lpaquette@chla.usc.edu.