[Clinical manifestations of tuberculosis today]

In developed countries tuberculosis has not yet been eradicated and diagnostic problems still remain. The purpose of this study was to analyze the clinical pattern, epidemiological data and risk factors in 85 patients (59 males and 26 females, mean age 41 +/- 15 years) seen from 1975-1984 in the medical outpatient clinic of Basle with the diagnosis of tuberculosis. The organ distribution of the tuberculosis was as following: lung n = 54, cervical lymph nodes n = 9, pleura n = 7, peritoneum n = 3, endometrium n = 2, bones n = 2, pericardium n = 1, middle ear n = 1, urinary tract n = 1, skin n = 1, cerebrum n = 1, miliary tuberculosis n = 3. In the younger age group (20-40 years) cervical lymph node tuberculosis predominated, whereas in the age group over 50 pulmonary tuberculosis was most frequent. The leading symptoms were: cough (59%), expectoration (48%), fever (39%), night sweat (24%). Risk factors were: cigarette smoking in 51%, alcoholism in 37%, preexisting lung disease in 20%, past tuberculosis in 19%. In pulmonary tuberculosis the most accurate diagnostic procedure was examination of bronchial secretion, followed by examination of sputum and gastric juice. Histological examination was the most appropriate procedure in tuberculosis of lymph nodes and peritoneum. In all patients treatment was as follows: isoniacid (INH), rifampicin and ethambutol for the first 4 months, followed by isoniacid and ethambutol for 6-10 months. In summary, tuberculosis has no typical clinical pattern and biochemical tests are unhelpful in establishing diagnosis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)