PULMONARY TUBERCULOSIS IN PATIENTS TREATED WITH INHALED BECLOMETHASONE

Inhaled beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP) has been used with few side-effects in the treatment of bronchial asthma for 2 decades. Until now the manifestation of tuberculosis (TB) in patients on inhaled BDP has not been reported. Eight patients with allergic asthma, of a total of 548 asthmatics (1.46%) seen over a 2-year period, developed active TB following the use of inhaled BDP. All were sputum-positive for acid-fast bacilli (AFB) on smear and/or culture, all responded well to a combination of anti-TB drugs, and none showed evidence of immunological or pituitary-adrenal suppression. Two patients agreed to a repeat administration of BDP; both developed TB again within 2 weeks and are again on anti-TB treatment.