title: Overdiagnosis of tuberculosis. Case reports.
abstract: Six cases are presented in which tuberculosis (TB) was wrongly diagnosed. The patients were all Blacks from areas of high TB prevalence, and treatment for presumed TB was instituted without bacteriological confirmation. There were delays of up to 2 years before the correct diagnosis was made, involving much morbidity and unnecessary treatment. There was one potentially preventable death.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001987:Bronchiectasis / Q000175:diagnosis; D002283:Carcinoma, Bronchogenic / Q000175:diagnosis; D006486:Hemosiderosis / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008169:Lung Abscess / Q000175:diagnosis; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008946:Mitral Valve Stenosis / Q000175:diagnosis; D012507:Sarcoidosis / Q000175:diagnosis; D014391:Tuberculosis, Miliary / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis*