Use of Adjunctive Treatment with Interferon- in an Immunocompromised Patient Who Had Refractory Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis of the Brain

Abstract

We describe a patient with acute lymphocytic leukemia and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis of the brain and spinal cord. Despite treatment with six antituberculous drugs and a steroid medication for 11 months, there was no appreciable clinical or radiological improvement in the patient's condition. Within 5 months of initiating adjunctive therapy with IFN-gamma and granulocyte colony stimulating factors, substantial neurological and radiological improvement was noted. Therapy with IFN-gamma was continued for 12 months, resulting in complete resolution of the lesions in the brain and spinal cord.