Retrospective assessment of the patients with disseminated tuberculosis

Abstract

Background: Disseminated tuberculosis (TB) is defined as the presence of two or more noncontiguous sites resulting from hematogenous dissemination of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, occurring as a result of progressive primary infection, reactivation of a latent focus with subsequent spread, or rarely through iatrogenic origin. Hence; the present study was undertaken for assessing the patients with disseminated tuberculosis. Materials & methods: A total of 50 patients who reported to the department and were confirmed with diagnosis of disseminated tuberculosis in the past one year. Complete demographic and clinical data of all the subjects was enrolled. Clinical profile of all the patients was recorded. Assessment of all the results was done using SPSS software. Results: Fever, malaise, weight loss and poor appetite were seen in 66 percent, 30 percent, 24 percent and 20 percent of the patients respectively. Cough, dyspnea, myalgia and joint pain was seen in 20 percent, 12 percent, 14 percent and 18 percent of the patients respectively. On chest imaging, consolidation, fibrotic change, miliary lesion and nodular change was seen in 16 percent, 10 percent, 50 percent and 8 percent of the patients respectively. Conclusion: Majority of the patients demonstrate clinical findings suggestive of disseminated TB.