300905 Study Guide - Final Guide: Miliary Tuberculosis, Tuberculous Meningitis, Pott Disease
23 Feb 2020
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If a tuberculosis infection does become active, it most commonly involves the lungs (in about 90% of cases). Symptoms may include chest pain and a prolonged cough producing sputum. About 25% of people may not have any symptoms e. g they remain asymptomatic. Occasionally, people may cough up blood in small amounts, and in very rare cases, the infection may erode into the pulmonary artery or a. Tuberculosis may become a chronic illness and cause extensive scarring in the upper lobes of the lungs. The upper lung lobes are more frequently affected by tuberculosis than the lower ones. The reason for this difference is not clear. It may be due to either better air flow, or poor lymph drainage within the upper lungs. In 15 20% of active cases, the infection spreads outside the lungs, causing other kinds of tb. Extrapulmonary tb occurs more commonly in people with a weakened immune system and young children.
