Symptomatology and chest roentgenographic changes of pulmonary tuberculosis among diabetics

Symptoms and chest x-ray findings in 28 diabetics and 38 non diabetics with pulmonary tuberculosis were compared. The two groups of patients were age and sex-matched. There was no statistical difference in respiratory or constitutional symptoms between the two groups. Distribution of chest x-ray involvement including cavitary disease was again similar in the two groups of patients. These findings are contrary to previous reports and beliefs that diabetics were less symptomatic and that x-ray findings were more frequent in lower lung fields.