Tuberculosis is an infectious disease that causes inflammation, the
formation of tubercules and other growths within tissue, and can
cause tissue death. These chest x-rays show advanced pulmonary
tuberculosis. There are multiple light areas (opacities) of varying
size that run together (coalesce). Arrows indicate the location of
cavities within these light areas. The x-ray on the left clearly
shows that the opacities are located in the upper area of the lungs
toward the back. The appearance is typical for chronic pulmonary
tuberculosis but may also occur with chronic pulmonary
histiocytosis and chronic pulmonary coccidioidomycosis. Pulmonary
tuberculosis is making a comeback with new resistant strains that
are difficult to treat. Pulmonary tuberculosis is the most common
form of the disease, but other organs can be infected.
Review Date: 12/07/2010
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of
General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington
School of Medicine; Jatin M. Vyas, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor in
Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Assistant in Medicine, Division
of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts
General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical
Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)