title: Extra-pulmonary tuberculosis: a high frequency in the absence of HIV infection.
abstract: METHODS
  A tuberculosis centre for the diagnosis, management and control of all tuberculosis in a region in Western Canada with a population of approximately 1.2 million.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To measure the proportion of cases of extra-pulmonary tuberculosis in relation to country of birth, age and gender of the subject.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective study of all patients with tuberculosis diagnosed during a five-year period, 1990-1994. Information relating to age, country of birth and details relating to their tuberculosis were all gathered and stored on a computerised tuberculosis register.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 351 patients with tuberculosis were diagnosed during the five-year period. Extra-pulmonary tuberculosis, defined as disease which, with the exception of miliary tuberculosis, was not associated with lung involvement, was diagnosed in 160 (46%) of the patients. The incidence of extra-pulmonary tuberculosis, especially lymph node disease, tended to be higher in younger patients but was significantly higher in immigrants from Asia in whom the majority (61%) presented with extra-pulmonary disease. Less than 2% of the subjects in this study were infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Extra-pulmonary tuberculosis accounted for approximately half of the cases of tuberculosis in a western Canadian tuberculosis centre. This high frequency of extra-pulmonary disease was not attributable to HIV infection.
authors.affiliation: Tuberculosis Services for Southern Alberta, Calgary, Canada.
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Cowie
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Sharpe
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D018023:HIV Seronegativity; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology