Tuberculosis

Question 1

What is it

Answer 1

A chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, primarily affecting the lungs but can involve other organs (extrapulmonary TB).

Question 2

Clinical Features

Answer 2

Persistent cough (≥3 weeks, often productive)
Hemoptysis (coughing blood)
Fever & night sweats 🌡️
Unintentional weight loss ⚖️
Fatigue & malaise 😓
Chest pain & dyspnea

Question 3

Epidemiology

Answer 3

One of the top 10 causes of death worldwide
High prevalence in developing countries 🌍
Resurgence in developed countries due to HIV & drug-resistant TB
Spread via airborne droplets (coughing, sneezing)

Question 4

Age Groups Affected

Answer 4

All ages at risk, but higher in:
Infants & young children (weaker immune system)
Elderly (weakened immunity)
Young adults in endemic areas

Question 5

Risk Factors

Answer 5

✅ Modifiable:
• Smoking 🚬
• Malnutrition 🍽️
• Crowded living conditions 🏠
• Alcoholism 🍷
• Poor healthcare access
🚫 Non-Modifiable:
• HIV/AIDS 🦠 (strongest risk factor)
• Immunosuppression (e.g., chemotherapy, transplant patients)
• Close contact with an infected person
• History of untreated TB

Question 6

Clinical Presentation

Answer 6

Pulmonary TB (Most Common Form)
• Persistent cough (≥3 weeks, often productive)
• Hemoptysis (coughing up blood)
• Fever & night sweats 🌡️
• Unintentional weight loss ⚖️
• Fatigue & malaise 😓
• Chest pain & tightness
• Shortness of breath (dyspnea)
• Loss of appetite

Extrapulmonary TB (Outside the Lungs)
🔹 Lymphatic TB (Scrofula): Painless swollen lymph nodes (common in the neck)
🔹 TB Meningitis: Headache, stiff neck, altered mental status
🔹 Skeletal TB (Pott’s Disease): Back pain, spinal deformity
🔹 Genitourinary TB: Blood in urine, flank pain
🔹 Gastrointestinal TB: Abdominal pain, diarrhea, weight loss
🔹 Miliary TB (Disseminated TB): Widespread infection affecting multiple organs, respiratory distress, organ failure

Question 7

Prognosis

Answer 7

🔹 Good with early treatment (6-month course of rifampin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide, ethambutol)
🔹 Untreated TB = high mortality
🔹 Drug-resistant TB (MDR-TB, XDR-TB) → poor prognosis
🔹 Prevention: BCG vaccine, screening high-risk groups, infection control measures