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Clinical features

Authoring team

These vary with respect to the different phases of tuberculosis infection (primary, post-primary, miliary). (1, 2)

Systemic features that may occur include: night sweats, lassitude, weight loss, malaise, fever, anorexia. The disease may be asymptomatic.

Local features vary with respect to the organ involved and may include:

  • lung: cough, sputum, haemoptysis, breathlessness, lobar collapse, bronchopneumonia, hoarseness
  • pleura: breathlessness, pain, effusion
  • heart/pericardium: pain, arrhythmias, cardiac failure, pericarditis
  • intestine: malabsorption, diarrhoea, obstruction
  • GU tract: haematuria, renal failure, epididymitis, salpingitis, infertility
  • adrenals: Addison's disease
  • skin: erythema nodosum, erythema induratum, lupus vulgaris
  • eyes: iritis, choroiditis, phlcytenular keratoconjunctivitis
  • bones/joints: arthritis, osteomyelitis
  • lymphatics: lymphadenopathy, cold abscesses, sinuses
  • brain: tuberculoma, meningitis

 

Reference

  • Tuberculosis. NICE Guideline (January 2016 - last updated September 2019)
  • Lewinsohn DM et al. Official American Thoracic Society/Infectious Diseases Society of America/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Clinical Practice Guidelines: Diagnosis of Tuberculosis in Adults and Children. Clin Infect Dis. 2017 Jan 15;64

 


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