Roentgenographic Manifestations Of Pulmonary Tuberculosis In The Adult: Frequency Of Atypical Findings

Abstract

SummaryWc reviewed the roentgenographic manifestations of bactcriologically proven pulmonary tuberculosis in 114 adult patients, admitted to the hospital from 1981 to 1985.The characteristic features of reactivated hematogenous disseminations in the apicoposterior segments were found in 87 patients (76,3%). «Unusual» presentations were found in 27 patients (23,7%) and consisted of solitary infiltration in the anterior or caudal areas of the lung with or without pleural effusion in 15 (13,2%), solitary pleural effusion in 5 (4,3%), solitary miliary pattern in 4 (3,5%), solitary mediastinal or hilar lymph nodes in 1 (0,9%) and lower lobe tuberculoma (with or without pleural effusion) in 2 (1,8%). When subdivided in two age groups (younger versus older than 60 years) a statistical significant difference in the radiological presentation could not be demonstrated i.e. «unusual» localisations occurred in 15 of 59 younger patients versus 12 of 55 older patients. We conclude that in our series of adult patients the features classically described as typical for hematogenous reinfection still predominate, and that in the elderly a shift to the unusual presentations could not be confirmed.