TUBERCULOSIS-ASSOCIATED IGA NEPHROPATHY: A NEW CASE

Wafa Baya*, Jihed Anoun, Imen Ben Hassine, Fatma Ben Fredj Ismail, Anis Mzabi and
Chedia Laouani Kechrid

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Tunisia is a country of intermediate endemicity for tuberculosis. Immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) is the most frequent pathological diagnosis of tuberculosis-associated glomerulonephritis. It’s challenging owing to atypical presentations. Few cases of tuberculosis-associated IgAN have been reported since 1983. Case Report: A 47 year-old white woman presented asthenia, chest pain and fever for a month. Biological tests found an inflammatory syndrome, aminotranferases elevation, proteinuria and hematuria. Imaging showed pleural and pericardial effusion with multiple lymphadenopathies. Further tests and biopsies revealed multifocal tuberculosis. Renal biopsy showed the aspect of IgA nephritis. Clinical, biological and radiological abnormalities disappeared under anti-tuberculosis therapy and high doses of corticosteroids. Conclusion: IgAN is a rare complication of tuberculosis with frequent misdiagnosis. We report the first Tunisian case.

Keywords: Tuberculosis – IgA glomerulonephritis – Exsudates – Lymphadenopathy.