Author/Editor		Šuštaršič, Vida; Jagrič, Mojca
Title		Pulmonary tuberculosis
Translated title		Pljučna tuberkuloza
Type		članek
Source		In: Lipovec V, editor. Nevroradiologija: diagnostika, radioterapija, nuklearna medicina. Povzetki predavanj 5. srednjeevropski simpozij radioloških inženirjev; 2002 maj 24-26; Ljubljana. Ljubljana: Društvo radioloških tehnikov Slovenije,
Publication year		2002
Volume		str. 64-7, 108-12
Language		eng, ger
Abstract		Tuberculosis is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The most important factors are recognition, reporting and treatment. We distinguish: - Primary tuberculosis, usually asymptomatic. It is hardly visible on X-rays images. Only the hilum lympha glands are moderately enlarged. - Postprimary tuberculosis, appears after primary infection. Tuberculosis is a chronic disease. General symptoms are losing weight, fever and night perspiration. Pulmonary tuberculosis typically begins in the the top of the lungs (apex) from where it spreads downwards. In the beginning it is mostly imperceptible, clinical symptoms are evidently unspecific: - hemoptysis (coughing blood), - long lasting fever temperature, - irritating unproductive cough, - infiltrates visible on X-rays which have not responded to treatment with ordinary antibiotics. Diagnosis of tuberculosis is based on the epidemiological data, symptoms, bacteriology, histology, tests for tuberculosis and mainly on X-ray imaging. Tratment of tuberculosis is based on antituberculotics - isoniazid. Their purpose is sterilization of tuberculosis lesions. In the initial combination of medicine there is also rifampin and pirazinamid, which are important for late sterilizing effect. Tuberculosis is diagnosed and treated as outpatient, only patients infected with resistant microbacteria are admitted to hospital. Basic precaution of prevention is detecting and treatment of sources of infection. With healty patients we can prevent major consequences of disease by BCG, with infected patients we use chemorophylaxis. It is estimated that 10 million new people are annualy infected by tuberculosis, 3 millions of those die of it. In Slovenia, tuberculosis epidemy reached its climax at the end of 19th and the beginning of 20th century. 25 patients died of tuberculosis in 1990 in Slovenia, 722 new patients infected by the disease were discovered. (Abstract truncated at 2000 characters).
Descriptors		TUBERCULOSIS, PULMONARY TUBERCULIN TEST