Pulmonary tuberculosis

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Tuberculosis in the kidney

Tuberculosis in the lung

Tuberculosis, advanced - chest X-rays

Pulmonary nodule - front view chest X-ray

Pulmonary nodule, solitary - CT scan

Miliary tuberculosis

Tuberculosis of the lungs

Erythema nodosum associated with sarcoidosis

Pulmonary tuberculosis

Alternative Names:

TB; Tuberculosis - pulmonary; Consumption
Symptoms:

Limited to minor cough and mild fever, if apparent
Fatigue
Unintentional weight loss
Coughing up blood
Fever and night sweats
Phlegm-producing cough

Additional symptoms that may be associated with this disease:

Wheezing
Excessive sweating, especially at night
Chest pain
Breathing difficulty

Signs and tests:

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Examination of the lungs by stethoscope can reveal crackles (unusual breath sounds). Enlarged or tender lymph nodes may be present in the neck or other areas. Fluid may be detectable around a lung. Clubbing of the fingers or toes may be present.

Testsmay include:

Chest x-ray
Sputum cultures
Tuberculin skin test
Bronchoscopy
Thoracentesis
Chest CT
Interferon (IFN)-gamma blood test. This type of test looks for an immune response to proteins produced by M. tuberculosis. In December 2004, the FDA approved the QuantiFERON-TB Gold (QFT-Gold) test as an alternate to the traditional tuberculin skin test (TST).
Rarely, biopsy of the affected tissue (typically lungs, pleura, or lymph nodes)

References:

Ferrara G, Losi M, Meacci M, et al. Routine Hospital Use of a New Commercial Whole Blood Interferon-(gamma) Assay for the Diagnosis of Tuberculosis Infection. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2005 Sep 1;172(5):631-5. Epub 2005 Jun 16.

US Centers for Disease Control. Treatment of Tuberculosis. MMWR 2003; 52.

Diagnostic Standards: Classification of TB in Adults and Children. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2000; 161.