Department of Tuberculosis & Chest Diseases, Government Medical College, Amritsar, Punjab, India.
Int J Tuberc Lung Dis. 2012 Sep;16(9):1210-3. doi: 10.5588/ijtld.11.0778. Epub 2012 Jul 12.
Published literature on the clinical characteristics of tuberculosis (TB) among elderly patients in India is scarce, as the problem of geriatric TB has not received the attention it deserves.
To compare the manifestations of TB among elderly and young patients.
Medical records of elderly and young TB patients were extracted and compared.
Elderly patients had less frequent respiratory and constitutional symptoms, but a higher prevalence of comorbidities. The median duration of symptoms was also longer in the elderly. Both groups were similar on physical examination, except that the elderly had a higher frequency of development of jaundice following anti-tuberculosis chemotherapy. Human immunodeficiency virus positivity was only present among the younger group. Both groups had significant proportions of alcoholics and drug abusers, but lesser percentage of smokers. Total admission analysis showed a male preponderance.
The presentation of TB in elderly patients differs from that of younger patients in symptomatology. A high index of suspicion is therefore required to make a timely diagnosis of TB in the elderly.
在印度，有关老年患者结核病（TB）临床特征的文献很少，因为老年结核病问题尚未得到应有的重视。
比较老年和年轻 TB 患者的表现。
提取并比较老年和年轻 TB 患者的病历。
老年患者呼吸道和全身症状较少，但合并症的发生率较高。老年患者症状持续时间的中位数也较长。除了接受抗结核化疗后老年患者出现黄疸的频率更高外，两组在体格检查方面相似。人类免疫缺陷病毒阳性仅见于年轻组。两组均有相当比例的酗酒者和药物滥用者，但吸烟者比例较少。总入院分析显示男性居多。
老年患者结核病的表现与年轻患者不同，在症状方面。因此，需要高度怀疑才能及时诊断老年患者的结核病。
