Imaging of thoracic tuberculosis: pulmonary and extrapulmonary

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Infectious Diseases
• Thoracic Imaging

Background:

• Tuberculosis (TB) is a significant global infectious disease, often fatal but treatable.
• While typically affecting the lungs, TB can manifest in extrapulmonary sites, particularly in immunocompromised individuals (e.g., HIV-positive patients).
• Extrapulmonary TB can present with diverse symptoms, mimicking other conditions, especially in less common thoracic locations like the heart, chest wall, and breast.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the imaging spectrum of tuberculosis in both pulmonary and extrapulmonary thoracic sites.
• To emphasize the critical role of imaging in the early diagnosis, management, and complication monitoring of thoracic TB.
• To provide essential background on TB epidemiology, pathogenesis, and diagnostic approaches.

Main Methods:

• Literature review focusing on imaging modalities for thoracic tuberculosis.
• Analysis of imaging findings across various pulmonary and extrapulmonary TB presentations.
• Synthesis of information on TB epidemiology, pathogenesis, and diagnostic strategies.

Main Results:

• Imaging is crucial for detecting TB, guiding investigations, and assessing treatment response.
• Characteristic and atypical imaging features of thoracic TB are presented.
• Imaging aids in preventing complications and achieving successful treatment outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Medical imaging is indispensable for the comprehensive management of thoracic tuberculosis.
• Understanding the diverse imaging manifestations of TB is key to accurate diagnosis and effective patient care.
• Early and accurate diagnosis through imaging contributes to improved treatment efficacy and complication prevention.