Tuberculosis before hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in patients with hematologic diseases: Report of a single-center experience

Background: Few reports discuss the optimal management of patients diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB) before scheduled stem cell transplantation (SCT), who then proceed with transplantation. Methods: We found 13 patients with TB before SCT (proven, n = 9; probable, n = 3; possible, n = 1) in the medical records of our institution. Results: Most of the patients had pulmonary TB (n = 8; disseminated, n = 2; extrapulmonary, n = 3). Eight of 9 patients with proven disease had SCT after at least 100 days of anti-tuberculous medication, ranging from 103 to 450 days. None of those patients suffered TB-related events after SCT. However, 1 patient with proven pulmonary TB who underwent SCT after only 40 days of anti-tuberculous therapy subsequently died of TB meningitis. Patients with possible and probable disease had their transplants after 6-176 days of anti-tuberculous medication, and all were alive at the time of analysis. The entire duration of anti-tuberculous medication was 12 months in most cases. With a follow-up duration ranging from 0.7 to 87.5 months, 4 patients died, but TB was the cause of death in only 1 case. Conclusion: In conclusion, for proven cases of TB, SCT after >100 days of anti-tuberculous medication is probably feasible and safe, in terms of TB control, in patients with various hematologic diseases.