Clinical analysis of pulmonary tuberculosis detected during follow-up of other underlying diseases

Abstract

The objects of this study were to analyze clinically the outpatients and inpatients who were diagnosed as pulmonary tuberculosis during the follow-up of other underlying diseases at our affiliated hospitals and to review the past problems and to discuss how to improve the situation. Sixty five outpatients or inpatients diagnosed as pulmonary tuberculosis during the follow-up of other underlying diseases were collected from 508 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis at our affiliated hospitals over the past 10 years. The proportion of elderly patients over 65 years old among 65 index cases was significantly higher as compared to the control group. Forty three of these index patients were outpatients and 22 were inpatients. The most frequent underlying diseases excluding respiratory diseases were malignant diseases followed by diabetes mellitus, gastrointestinal diseases and psychosomatic diseases in order. Pulmonary tuberculosis without clinical symptoms was detected by periodic chest X-ray in 21 cases (32%). There were some severe TB cases caused by the doctor's delay who were followed for malignant or psychosomatic diseases. Although many doctors except for respiratory specialists tended to pay attention to pulmonary tuberculosis as a possible complication during periodic health examination, further intensive education regarding pulmonary tuberculosis is required for doctors who treat malignant or psychosomatic diseases at special hospitals because TB patients who were smear positive when they were detected may cause outbreak of tuberculosis in the hospital.