An Interesting Case of Pulmonary Tuberculosis with Hypoxemic Respiratory Failure Mimicking Interstitial Lung Disease

Abstract

Hypoxemic respiratory failure is a rare presentation of active pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). Though tuberculous acute
respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is well documented in medical literature, non-ARDS respiratory failure is seldom
reported in active pulmonary TB. We herein report a case, which posed a diagnostic dilemma as it clinically mimicked
interstitial lung disease. Imaging showed unilateral localized smooth interlobular septal thickening along with consolidation
without significant mediastinal lymphadenopathy. To the best of our knowledge, this rare radiological finding has not been
reported in medical literature as being associated with hypoxemic respiratory failure in pulmonary TB patients.