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Tuberculosis emerging in patients treated with corticosteroids.
European Journal of Respiratory Diseases
|May 1, 1983
Summary
Corticosteroid therapy did not increase tuberculosis reactivation in a 9-year study of 1355 patients. Serious underlying conditions, not just corticosteroid use, may activate latent tuberculosis disease.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonology
- Immunology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Corticosteroids are known to potentially facilitate tuberculous disease activity.
- Understanding the risk of tuberculosis reactivation in patients on corticosteroid therapy is crucial for clinical management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the incidence of tuberculosis reactivation in patients receiving corticosteroid therapy.
- To investigate trends in corticosteroid-associated tuberculosis reactivation over a 9-year period.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 1355 patients with tuberculosis discharged from a chest hospital between 1971 and 1980.
- Inclusion criteria: patients on corticosteroid therapy for at least 6 months prior to diagnosis.
Main Results:
- No new cases of tuberculosis were observed.
- 3% (40 patients) experienced reactivation of previous tuberculosis disease.
- No increase in reactivated cases was noted despite increased corticosteroid use over the study period.
Conclusions:
- Corticosteroid therapy did not appear to increase the rate of tuberculosis reactivation in this patient cohort.
- Serious underlying corticosteroid-dependent diseases may be significant contributors to tuberculosis activation, potentially as much as the therapy itself.