Abstract

Haemoptysis may be observed in one third of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis at any time during their disease. Tuberculosis may present with atypical radiological findings in patients with underlying diseases such as Diabetes Mellitus (DM). We presented a 58-year-old male with DM who haemorrhaged from the right bronchial artery although having a radiological lesion in the left lung. He had a glassful of haemoptysis in a single episode lasting two days. Chest computarized tomography (CT) showed a consolidation partially forming a massive lesion in the left upper lobe. Bronchoscopy revealed a haemorrhagic residue in the right main bronchus and a blood clot in the left upper lobe. After aspiration a major hemorrhage was observed and bronchial arterial embolization (BAE) was performed to the right bronchial artery where extravasion of the contrast agent was determined. However,in the follow-up, as the findings of BAE were not consistent with the bronchoscopic and radiological findings, a CT angiography was performed for the evaluation of the vascular structures. No vascular pathology was determined although there were acinary infiltrations in both lungs. Also, the mycobacterial culture of the sputum was positive. Radiological, bronchoscopic and angiographic findings may not always correlate in patients with haemoptysis. Heamoptysis may result from different causes in pulmonary tuberculosis and bronchial arterial system is usually the source.