Tularemia presenting as pulmonary nodules in an immunocompromised patient

Abstract

Tularemia is a zoonotic disease caused by Francisella tularensis that can be transmitted to humans when they handle rabbits, receive tick bites, consume contaminated water, or inhale aerosolized particles. We present the case of a 51-year-old white man with rheumatoid arthritis who was taking immunosuppressive medications and presented with tularemia. Our patient acquired the typhoidal form of tularemia, which is a severe systemic illness that manifests with fevers, headaches, myalgias, vomiting, diarrhea, and neurological symptoms, due to his immunocompromised state. The diagnosis was made through biopsy of a pulmonary nodule found incidentally on computed tomography scan.