[Clinical evaluation of 8 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis in a community hospital without restricted...

The clinical features of 8 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis under treatment in the Koebaru Central Hospital, a community hospital without restricted tuberculosis wards, between 1992 and 2000 were evaluated. The major findings in the present study were: i) recently, the number of elderly patients with reactivated pulmonary tuberculosis has increased, ii) none of the patients showed respiratory symptoms, and 3 patients had negative Mantoux skin tests, iii) only one patient showed cavities on chest radiography, and iv) none of the expectorated sputum samples was smear-positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Smears of intrabronchial sputum sampled using a fiberoptic bronchoscope from pulmonary lesions in patients without any symptoms were useful for establishing the diagnoses. Considering all aspects, it is important to perform aggressive evaluations, even for elderly patients, utilizing a fiberoptic bronchoscope for early diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis and to prevent nosocomial infections.