A 40-year-old man presents to his physician with complaints of a cough and fatigue that have significantly affected his daily routine. He lives alone and denies any sick contacts at his workplace but notes that he was formerly incarcerated and released 3 months ago. Upon further questioning, he states that he has coughed up blood a few times in the past weeks and has been having occasional night sweats. A chest x-ray demonstrates a right apical lung lesion. A tuberculosis diagnosis is made. Which of the following would most likely happen during the first week of infection?

Question

A 40-year-old man presents to his physician with complaints of a cough and fatigue that have significantly affected his daily routine. He lives alone and denies any sick contacts at his workplace but notes that he was formerly incarcerated and released 3 months ago. Upon further questioning, he states that he has coughed up blood a few times in the past weeks and has been having occasional night sweats. A chest x-ray demonstrates a right apical lung lesion. A tuberculosis diagnosis is made.   Which of the following would most likely happen during the first week of infection?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Eductional Objective: Primary tuberculosis infection is marked by initial unchecked Mycobacterium tuberculosis replication within the alveolar space and alveolar macrophages.  After a few weeks, CD4 lymphocytes are stimulated to release interferon-gamma, which activates macrophages and leads to control of the infection.

A 40-Year-Old Man Presents to His Physician with Complaints of a Cough