[The study of pulmonary tuberculosis in the elderly]

A clinical study of 52 patients diagnosed as having pulmonary tuberculosis at National Chiba-Higashi Hospital between 1988 and 1990 was performed. The cases ranged in age from 80-89 years; mean male patient age was 82.5, and mean female patient age was 84.3. Diagnosis of the cases were as follows: 19 discovered when checking into hospital because of chest symptoms; 14 diagnosed during the treatment of other diseases; 14 diagnosed during admission to the hospital for other diseases; and five cases were detected by chest X-rays. A total of 38 cases, had received primary treatment for pulmonary tuberculosis, 11 cases had received secondary treatment, and three cases were receiving treatment for tuberculosis. Upon admission to the hospital after the detection of tuberculosis, 19 cases tested positive to sputum smear examinations, six cases tested positive to culture examinations but negative to smear examinations, and culture examinations were negative in 27 cases. Regarding the chest X-ray findings, using the criterion of roentgenological classification for pulmonary tuberculosis established by the Japanese Society for Tuberculosis, two cases revealed type I, 29 cases revealed type II, and 21 cases revealed type III. Cavitary cases were observed in 60% of the chest X-ray findings. Upon hospital admission, 18 cases were observed to have circulatory diseases, 16 cases had central nervous diseases, 12 cases had digestive diseases and 11 cases had respiratory diseases. Nine cases had malignant neoplasm, five cases had diabetes mellitus and 14 cases had other diseases. A total of 18 cases ended in death; six cases died of pulmonary tuberculosis, and 12 cases died of other diseases.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)