Incidence of tuberculosis among patients receiving treatment with oral corticosteroids.
OBJECTIVE
To study the incidence and pattern of tuberculosis in patients taking systemic corticosteroids (CS).


METHODS
Seventy seven patients taking oral CS for various respiratory diseases and eighty patients suffering from similar diseases but not receiving steroids were followed up for one year to study the incidence of tuberculosis.


RESULTS
Five patients (6.5%) receiving CS developed tuberculosis as against none amongst the controls (p < 0.05). Of these, three patients had sputum positive pulmonary tuberculosis and one each had sputum negative pulmonary tuberculosis and tubercular meningitis. All patients were treated with standard anti-tubercular therapy; four patients improved whereas one died due to complications of disease.


CONCLUSIONS
Systemic CS therapy causes a significant increase in incidence of tuberculosis.
Agrawal
P N
PN
Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
Gupta
D
D
Aggarwal
A N
AN
Behera
D
D
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones