Radiological features of pulmonary tuberculosis in elderly patients.
We reviewed the radiological findings in 55 hospital inpatients aged 60 and over with bacteriologically proven tuberculosis over a 5-year period 1981-5. Since most of the patients were infected during childhood it was expected that the majority would show the 'typical' findings of post-primary disease with apicoposterior lung lesions. This was found in 43 of the patients (78%). Unusual features were found in 12 patients: solitary pleural effusion (1), miliary tuberculosis (2), tuberculoma (1), isolated mediastinal or hilar lymphadenopathy (1), solitary ventrobasal and middle-lobe or lingular lesions (7). No major differences were found in comparison with a group of 59 younger patients with proven pulmonary tuberculosis. Amongst these 15 (25%) had 'atypical' radiological findings. We conclude that the radiological manifestations of pulmonary tuberculosis in elderly patients do not differ in frequency or distribution from those seen in younger adults.
Department of Internal Medicine, University of Leuven School of Medicine, Belgium.
P
P
Van den Brande
W
W
Pelemans
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*