[The role of diabetes as a factor for increased risk of infection with tuberculosis]

The number of freshly registered sputum positive cases of pulmonary tuberculosis coexistent with diabetes mellitus was calculated from data of the Central Register of Tuberculosis in Poland. The incidence rate for this group in 1985 and 1986 was only 2.6%, while the calculated rate was only higher by 1/3 in comparison with rates of the general population. This leads to a conclusion that diabetes mellitus does not increase the risk of developing tuberculosis. Treatment did not differ from standard therapeutical regimes. Early results were comparable with those from a general population. The mortality rate analyzed in both years was three fold higher in the group with coexistent diabetes mellitus than in the general population treated for tuberculosis. This implies that tuberculosis coexistent with diabetes mellitus is a great clinical problem but epidemiologically is insignificant.