Pneumonia with pneumatocele formation caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis: report of one case.

Pneumatoceles are usually characteristic of staphylococcal pneumonia. They are rarely formed as one of the complications of Mycobacterium tuberculosis pneumonia. We report a 1-year-and-5-month old male child with pneumonia who was confirmed to have the rare complication, pneumatocele formation, by chest radiography and computed tomography. Since the patient did not respond to empiric antibiotic therapy, gastric larvage through a nasogastric tube was performed on three consecutive mornings and, as a result, acid fast rods were found on the three specimens. The cultures subsequently yielded M. tuberculosis. He was finally cured with a 6-month course of antituberculous chemotherapy. We conclude that tuberculosis should be considered in infants or young children with pneumonia that presents radiologically as pneumatocele formation, especially in whom there has been no response to empiric antibiotic therapy.