Tuberculosis-related stigma contributing to a ‘hidden’ disease at autopsy
| Autor: | Karen Heath, Roger W. Byard |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2019 |
| Předmět: |
Pediatrics
medicine.medical_specialty Tuberculosis business.industry Health Policy Stigma (botany) Autopsy Disease medicine.disease Occupational safety and health Recent weight loss 03 medical and health sciences Issues ethics and legal aspects 0302 clinical medicine Medicine Medical history Disseminated disease 030216 legal & forensic medicine 030212 general & internal medicine business Law |
| Zdroj: | Medicine, Science and the Law. 59:135-138 |
| ISSN: | 2042-1818 0025-8024 |
| DOI: | 10.1177/0025802419849350 |
| Popis: | A 29-year-old African immigrant to Australia was found dead in bed. She had no known medical history, except for recent weight loss and hip/leg pain. Autopsy examination revealed extensive tuberculous consolidation with widespread cavitation of the lungs, with multiple caseating granulomas containing large numbers of acid fast bacilli on histology. Similar granulomas were also present in lymph nodes of the porta hepatis, mediastinum and pulmonary hilum, and within the liver, spleen and mesentery. Mycobacterial polymerase chain reaction analysis confirmed tuberculous infection. Her serum was negative for human immunodeficiency virus infection. Death was due to disseminated tuberculosis. In many parts of Africa, there are negative cultural associations attached to tuberculosis, which often leads to a delay in diagnosis. The case demonstrates the extent of active disease that may be uncovered at autopsy in decedents from societies where tuberculosis is stigmatised and therefore concealed. It also emphasises the risk of infection for forensic workers. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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