title: Ten years of extrapulmonary tuberculosis in a Danish university clinic.
abstract: The objective of this study was to describe the symptoms, diagnostic measures and outcomes of extrapulmonary tuberculosis (ex-TB) in a Danish university clinic from 1990 to 1999. 48 patients with ex-TB were identified retrospectively and clinical and laboratory data extracted from the patient files. The majority were immigrants from Africa (71%). A direct connection between symptoms on admission and anatomical localization of TB was found in 83%. The main localizations of ex-TB were peripheral lymph nodes (n = 15) and the abdomen (n = 19). In 73% Mycobacterium tuberculosis could be cultured. One culture was resistant to isoniazide and 1 had decreased sensitivity to isoniazide and etambutol. Two patients relapsed with TB. Some pitfalls in diagnosing TB were found, as 13% had a normal erythrocyte sedimentation rate at presentation, 9% had a negative tuberculin skin test and fever was absent in 31% of the cases. The patients' subjective complaints on admission should guide the diagnostic procedures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Skejby Sygehus, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark. lotteebdrup@dadlnet.dk
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ebdrup
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Storgaard
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jensen-Fangel
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Obel
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities; D002648:Child; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D014385:Tuberculosis, Gastrointestinal / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014388:Tuberculosis, Lymph Node / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018088:Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology