Clinical features of pulmonary tuberculosis in patients with diabetes mellitus
Background: Prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) is rather high in diabetic patients. Objectives: to find out whether there is a difference in clinical presentation of PTB in diabetic patients comparing to non-diabetic patients affected by PTB. Methods: The study comprised 194 TB patients divided in two groups, i.e. diabetic patients with established diagnosis of PTB, and the patients affected only by PTB. Clinical symptoms of both groups were reviewed and compared in the time of establishing PTB diagnosis. The frequency of new and relapse pulmonary TB, cavitary and ulcerous PTB were observed. Results: Women are more commonly affected by PTB than men in the diabetic group (p<0.05). Cough was more common in diabetic patients (95.9%) affected by PTB than non-diabetic patients (77.3%), hemoptysis in 29.9% diabetic patients and 13.4% without diabetes. Fever (p<0.001), shortness of breath (p<0.001), chest pain (p<0.0001) and night sweat (p<0.001) were more common in diabetic patients than non-diabetics. The cavitary (p<0.05) and ulcerous PTB (p<0.05) were also more common in diabetic patients. There was no significant difference in new and relapse PTB between two groups. Conclusions: PTB in diabetic patients is more likely to present with more severe clinical presentation, i. e. significantly more symptoms, as well as more cavitary and ulcerous TB lesions. Key words: clinical features, pulmonary tuberculosis, diabetes mellitus.