Pulmonary tuberculosis and diabetes mellitus--a study

One hundred diabetes mellitus patients attending the diabetic clinic and those admitted in the medical wards of the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal, were selected randomly to study the prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis with the age-and the sexwise distribution in diabetes mellitus patients. The diagnosis of diabetes mellitus was established from the dinical symptoms and the estimation of blood sugar levels whereas pulmonary tuberculosis was diagnosed from clinical, radiological and bacteriological examinations. The majority of the patients were above the age of 40 years, the mean age was 55.4 years (SD +/- 13.5). The prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis in diabeties was 27% by radiological diagnosis and 6% by sputum positivity. Out of the 27 patients with radiological findings 11 had minimal lesions, 7 had moderate lesions and 9 patients were found to have far advanced lesions; cavitation was found in 3 patients, fibrosis in 4, homogeneous opacities in 6, heterogeneous opacities in 10, pleural effusion in 3 and consolidation and Fibrosis in only one patient. Mean duration of diabetes mellitus was 7.6 years (SD +/- 6.24). Duration of diabetes mellitus did not correlate well with the prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis. No correlation could be found with the history of contact with tuberculosis.