clinical features
Last reviewed 09/2022
These vary with respect to the different phases of tuberculosis infection (primary, post-primary, miliary).
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