Table 1.
Information on tuberculosis in 8 patients with COVID-19 who died.
| #Case age | Gender | Country of origin | Co-morbidities/Risk factors | Type of TB case definition P/EP | Imaging at TB diagnosis (chest-X ray/CT) | TB drug-resistance pattern | TB course at time of COVID-19 diagnosis/microbiology |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 70 yrs |
Male | Italy | Hypertension, prostatic hypertrophy | M. tuberculosis new, pulmonary | CT/C-X ray: bilateral pulmonary lesions with cavities | Pansusceptible | RHZ, SS ++, last culture positive |
| 2 79 yrs |
Male | Italy | Previous TURP, nephrectomy in 2011 for renal cancer, NHL diagnosed in 2017 and treated with R-CHOP regimen for 6 cycles (last cycle February 2020) | M. bovis new, pulmonary | CT/C-X ray: bilateral miliary lesions | Intrinsically resistant to Z | RE, TB diagnosis on BAL, C+/direct microscopy +; due to hepatotoxicity and prothrombin time prolongation TB drugs were stopped and re-challenge was ongoing. After COVID-19 diagnosis R stopped (due to drug–drug interactions) and H restarted |
| 3 70 yrs |
Male | Italy | HIV infection, liver cirrhosis HBV/HDV related, metastatic prostate cancer, smoke | M. tuberculosis, TB sequelae new, pulmonary | CT/C-X ray: unilateral infiltrate | Pansusceptible | Treated with HRZE, cured in 2017 |
| 4 45 yrs |
Male | Italy (born in Moldova) | Alcohol, liver disease, smoke | M. tuberculosis new, pulmonary | CT/C-X ray: bilateral cavities, left hydropneumothorax with mediastinal emphysema. | Pansusceptible | HRZE, SS++++ |
| 5 82 yrs |
Male | Spain | Alcohol, hypertension, renal failure, smoke | M. tuberculosis new, pulmonary | CT/C-X ray: miliary pattern | Pansusceptible | HRZE |
| 6 66 yrs |
Male | Spain | Alcohol, COPD, liver steatosis, smoke | M. tuberculosis new, pulmonary | CT/C-X ray: bilateral infiltrates | Pansusceptible | HRZE, C+/SS+ |
| 7 73 yrs |
Female | Italy | Cachexia (BMI < 20), vomit and diarrhoea from 8 months, (possible underlying cancer), diabetes mellitus, hypertension, mental disorders | M. tuberculosis new, pulmonary | CT/C-X ray: bilateral excavated lung thickening, tree in bud (right lung) | Pansusceptible | HRZE Advanced pulmonary TB, SS− (7 days before death) |
| 8 70 yrs |
Male | Spain | Diabetes mellitus, hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, renal failure, smoke | M. tuberculosis new, pulmonary | CT/C-X ray: bilateral infiltrates | Pending | HRZE, C pending/SS+ |
BAL: broncho-alveolar lavage; BMI: body mass index; COPD: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; COVID-19: COronaVIrus Disease 19; CT: computed tomography; EP: extrapulmonary; HBV/HDV: chronic hepatitis B virus and hepatitis delta virus co-infection; HIV: human immunodeficiency virus; HRZE: isoniazid, rifampicin, pyrazinamide, ethambutol; NHL: non-Hodgkin lymphoma; P: pulmonary; SS/C: sputum smear/culture; TB: tuberculosis; TURP: transurethral resection of the prostate.