Volume 33

Number 4 (2024)

Clinical and Radiological Presentation of Patients with Smear Positive Pulmonary Tuberculosis

DOI: https://doi.org/10.XXXXX/mmj.2024.v3304.36

Noor SM1 , Ahmad MM2 , Anwar KMR3 , Chowdhury MF4 , Sultana M5 , Kader MA6 , Khan MAS7

Abstract

Chest X-ray is an important diagnostic aid frequently used alongside microscopic smear of sputum for the confirmation of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). However, there is a dearth of literature investigating the clinical and radiological pattern of sputum positive pulmonary TB among adults in Bangladesh. The current study explored these patterns in presentation. This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at outpatients in department of medicine of a tertiary care hospital. A total of 50 newly diagnosed adult cases of smear positive pulmonary TB attending at the Directly Observed Treatment Short-course (DOTS) corners were consecutively included. Informed written consent was taken before inclusion. Data were collected through face-to-face interview. Radiological presentation was explored using chest X-ray. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 26.0. The average age of patients was 41.0±17.12 years and majority were male (78.0%). The most prevalent respiratory symptom was cough (80.0%) followed by constitutional symptom like fever (70.0%) and weight loss (72.0%). Wasting was the predominant sign (60.0%). Radiologically both lungs were involved in 32.0%, left lung were involved in 30.0% cases and right lung were involved in 26.0% of cases. Twelve percent (12.0%) of patients had normal chest X-ray. Upper zone involvement was commonly observed in this study’s patients (66.0%). The predominant pattern was consolidation (46.0%) followed by fibrosis (26.0%), nodular opacity (12.0%), collapse (10.0%), cavity (6.0%), pleural effusion (2.0%) and bronchiectasis (2.0%). Findings of this study would help familiarize and identify the common clinical and radiological presentations of sputum positive pulmonary TB patients in day-to-day practice.

Keywords: Pulmonary TB, Radiologic pattern, Clinical pattern, Sputum smear positive


  1. Consultant, Department of Endocrinology

    Ibn Sina Diagnostic and Imaging centre, Dhaka

  2. Professor of Respiratory Medicine

    Dhaka Medical College and Hospital, Dhaka

  3. Assistant registrar, Department of Cardiology

    National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD), Dhaka

  4. Shadhinota Soroni, Gulshan, Dhaka

  5. Junior Consultant (Medicine)

    Kurmitola General Hospital, Dhaka

  6. Research Associate

    Pi Research & Development Center, Dhaka

  7. Director

    Pi Research and Development Center, Dhaka

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Volume 33, Number 4 (2024)
Page: 1211-1218