title: Epidemiological aspects of pleural tuberculosis in the state of São Paulo, Brazil (1998-2005).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of and trends regarding the incidence of pleural TB.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a retrospective descriptive study of TB cases reported between 1998 and 2005 and compiled from the Epidemiological Surveillance Tuberculosis System (Epi-TB database).
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 144,347 new cases of TB were reported during the period studied. Pulmonary TB was the predominant form (118,575 cases; 82.2%). Among the extrapulmonary forms (25,773 cases; 17.8%), pleural TB was the form most often reported (12,545 cases; 48.7%). For all forms, the incidence (per 100,000 population) decreased (from 49.7 in 1998 to 44.6 in 2005; R(2) = 0.898; p < 0.001), whereas the incidence of pleural TB remained stable (4.1 in 1998 and 3.8 in 2005; R(2) = 0.433; p = 0.076). The highest incidence of pleural TB was found among males (2:1) aged from 30 to 59 years. Of the 12,545 patients with pleural TB, 4,018 (32.0%) presented comorbidities: alcoholism (9.5%); HIV (8.0%); diabetes (3.3%); and mental illness (1.2%). The diagnosis was based on bacteriological (14.2%) and histological (30.2%) methods, as well as on unspecified methods (55.6%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pleural TB was the predominant extrapulmonary form of TB in the state of São Paulo, with a stable incidence between 1998 and 2005, although there was a trend toward a decrease in the incidence of the pulmonary forms. The diagnosis of pleural TB was confirmed through histology and bacteriology in 44.4% of the cases.
authors.affiliation: Pulmonology Section, Department of Cardiorespiratory Diseases, University of São Paulo School of Medicine, São Paulo, Brazil. 600@uol.com.br
authors.forename: Márcia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Seiscento
authors.forename: Francisco Suso
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Vargas
authors.forename: Maria Josefa Penon
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Rujula
authors.forename: Sidney
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bombarda
authors.forename: David Everson
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Uip
authors.forename: Vera Maria Nedes
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Galesi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014396:Tuberculosis, Pleural / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult