Abstract

ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND:
Mycobacterium tuberculosis causes the most common type of human tuberculosis worldwide .The most common mode of transmission is by inhalation of droplet nuclei from expectorated respiratory secretions.Active infection is diagnosed by documenting the presence of M tuberculosis in respiratory secretions or other body fluids or tissues.Age is an important determinant of the risk for the disease .The risk may increase in the elderly
OBJECTIVE:
To compare the effect of age between elderly and younger on clinical and radiological presentation in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis in Iraq.
PATIENTS AND METHODS:
A prospective study was done for 251 patients with smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis in outpatient's clinic in the Chest and Respiratory Disease Specialized Center in Baghdad.Collected from January to May 2009.The following parameters were assessed:
Age, gender, symptoms, risk factors, radiological findings, and incidence of recurrent .The relation of these parameters between elderly and younger was evaluated
RESULTS:
There were 174 young adult patients and 77 elderly patients .The elderly group age was between 60-
80years ,and younger adult age was between 17-59 years. There was no significant difference in the symptoms between the two groups .Family history of pulmonary tuberculosis (p=0.009) was more common in young adult, while DM (p=0.001) was more common in elderly .Comparison of radiological findings in young adults vs. elderly patients shown a typical findings (p=0.036) which is more in elderly .There was no significant difference in the incidence of recurrence between the two groups.
CONCLUSION:
There was no significant difference in the symptoms between elderly and younger age groups .
Family history of PTB was more common in young adults, while DM was more common in elderly.
A typical radiological findings were more in elderly.There was no significant difference in the incidence of recurrence between the two groups