Disseminated tuberculosis masquerading as a neuroendocrine tumour

Abstract

We describe the case of a 61-year-old man from the Dominican Republic admitted with diarrhoea, fevers and weight loss who was found to have lab studies and imaging (including radiolabeled somatostatin positron emission tomography/CT scan) initially consistent with a metastatic neuroendocrine tumour. However, after weeks of workup and multiple inconclusive biopsies, he was diagnosed with disseminated extrapulmonary tuberculosis. Here we examine the data for neuroendocrine tumour and tuberculosis labs and imaging to delineate where these studies overlap. We also analyse the biases and pitfalls in this case that led to a protracted diagnosis.