Isringhausen May Have Tuberculosis

Doctors believe New York Met pitcher Jason Isringhausen is suffering from a treatable form of tuberculosis, they said Thursday.

Mets internist John Olichney, who headed a team of specialists examining the 24-year-old pitcher, said a final diagnosis is not expected until next week.

The Mets had worried about the severity of Isringhausen’s condition, especially because doctors had not ruled out more serious diseases, such as cancer. Olichney calmed those concerns somewhat.

“This is looking like a mass,” he said. “We are convinced it is all lymph nodes, very likely inflamed. Cancer is way down in our thinking.”

According to Olichney, the medical team believes it is probably dealing with a group of inflamed lymph nodes clustered in the center of Isringhausen’s chest.

“Most likely, it is an inflammable lymph node disease,” he said. “We don’t have a diagnosis. We have a tissue biopsy that heavily suggests tuberculosis. Less likely is a fungal infection.”

If the final diagnosis is tuberculosis, Isringhausen can expect recovery in six to eight weeks.

Olichney warned, however, that tests on Isringhausen are still not complete.

“It could still be fungal or some other disorder,” he said. “I can’t rule out cancer without final tissue.”

*

The Colorado Rockies put pitcher Darren Holmes on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to April 10 because of a strained right elbow and recalled pitcher Mike DeJean from triple-A Colorado Springs.