[Pulmonary tuberculosis in youth]

The study of the group younger than 29 years of age with pulmonary tuberculosis was carried out. Thirty seven out of 287 tuberculosis patients who were discharged from National Chiba-Higashi Hospital in 1989 were enrolled. Only 5 patients (13.5%) were associated with complication. The smear and culture of sputum for acid-fast bacilli were positive in 30 cases (81.1%) and chest X-ray films revealed cavitary lesion in 31 cases (83.3%). Many of them were moderately advanced cases. Twenty four of them were found symptomatically, 10 by mass survey and 3 under treatment of other diseases. The total delay of symptomatic patients was 8.5 weeks until 80% of them were definitely diagnosed. The days of hospital stay were 122 until half patients were discharged. Five of them (13.5%) were non-Japanese and all stayed in Japan illegally. Their condition was rather severe.