[Pulmonary tuberculosis in non-immunocompromised patients. Current radiologic features].

Sixty-four non-immunocompromised and adult patients with proved tuberculosis were examined. Twenty-three of them had bacteriologic confirmation with sputum examination, 7 with biopsy, 8 with bronchoscopy and bronchial lavage, 3 with pleural effusion examination and 3 with specific ex-juvantibus therapy. Fifteen patients had positive Mantoux skin tests. Thirty-nine patients had primary and 25 postprimary tuberculosis. All patients underwent chest radiography and 37 underwent also CT scans of the chest. The radiographic findings in primary tuberculosis were: 33 parenchymal consolidation patterns (in 24 patients), more frequent in the upper (20/33) than in the lower (13/33) lobes, with cavitations in 16 cases; 2 miliary patterns; 4 atelectasis cases; 4 intrathoracic adenopathies and 11 pleural effusions. The radiographic findings in postprimary tuberculosis were: 32 parenchymal consolidation patterns (in 19 patients), more frequent in the upper (27/32) than in the lower (5/32) lobes, with cavitations in 7 cases; 2 tuberculomas; 1 miliary pattern; 1 atelectasis; 5 pleural effusions and 1 pericardial effusion. Thus, we can conclude that in our series both primary and postprimary tuberculosis appear mostly as upper lobe consolidation, with cavitations especially in the primary form, often with pleural effusion and sometimes with intrathoracic adenopathies. Primary tuberculosis is most frequent in adult men. Finally, lower lobe consolidations or less typical radiographic patterns are observed, e.g., atelectasis, adenopathies or pleural effusion with no parenchymal changes, which can mimic other diseases and thus delay the diagnosis.