Tuberculosis and pulmonary candidiasis co-infection present in a previously healthy patient

BACKGROUND: The coexistance among fungal pathogens and tuberculosis pulmonary is a clinical condition that generally occurs in immunosuppressive patients, however, immunocompetent patients may have this condition less frequently. OBJECTIVE: We report the case of an immunocompetent patient diagnosed with coinfection Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Candida albicans. CASE DESCRIPTION: A female patient, who is a 22-years old, with fever and a new onset of hemoptysis. CLINICAL FINDINGS AND DIAGNOSIS: Diminished vesicular breath sounds in the apical region and basal crackling rales in the left lung base were found in the physical examination. Microbiological tests include: chest radiography and CAT scan pictograms in high resolution, Ziehl-Neelsen stain, growth medium for fungus and mycobacteria through Sabouraudís agar method with D-glucose. Medical examinations showed Candida albicans fungus and Mycobacterium tuberculosis present in the patient. TREATMENT AND OUTCOME: Patient was treated with anti-tuberculosis and anti-fungal medications, which produced good responses. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Pulmonary tuberculosis and fungal co-infection are not common in immunocompetent patients. However, we can suspect that there is a presence of these diseases by detecting new onset of hemoptysis in patients.