01738nas a2200217   4500000000100000008004100001260001200042653002400054653002700078653001600105653002000121100002000141700001100161700001600172700001300188245012600201300001200327490000700339520116000346022001401506       2023                            d  c01/202310alepromatous leprosy10aPulmonary Tuberculosis10aThalidomide10aThromboembolism1 aRuthramoorthy P1 aJose J1 aRevendran J1 aElango R00aCo-infection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium leprae Complicated by pulmonary embolism: A rare case report  a513-5150 v123 a<p>A 35-year-old male patient with lepromatous leprosy came to the emergency room (ER) due to breathlessness and chest pain. The patient was diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) after a bronchoscopy and started on antitubercular therapy. However, the patient continued to experience tachycardia and desaturation, and on further evaluation, Computed tomography pulmonary angiography revealed an embolus in the right descending pulmonary artery. The patient was found to have an elevated d-dimer. Further investigation revealed that the cause of the pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) was the thalidomide medication that the patient was taking for type 2 leprosy reaction. The medication was stopped, and the patient was treated with low-molecular-weight heparin and discharged with apixaban for six months. The patient's condition improved on follow-up. This case is unique due to the rare combination of pulmonary TB, leprosy, and pulmonary embolism brought on by thalidomide administration. Physicians should be aware of the possibility of co-infection of TB and leprosy and the need to rule out thromboembolism when patients are on thalidomide.</p>
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