[The diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis combined with chronic bronchitis in middle-aged and elderly subjects].

Investigation of patients 60 years of age and older with different clinical forms of pulmonary tuberculosis revealed chronic bronchitis in 76-80%, obstructive bronchitis--in 1/3 of all cases. The diagnosis of chronic bronchitis in most cases is established on the basis of clinico-roentgenological and functional examination and partially by fiber bronchoscopy. Chronic bronchitis essentially changes the semeiotics, exacerbates the course and worsens the outcome in tubercular patients with associated pathology.