Table I. Characteristics of patient cohort.
| Patient Characteristics | Control | TB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total no. | 10 | 15 | |
| Male/female | 4/6 | 10/5 | |
| Median age (range), years | 31.5 (21–48) | 40 (24–73) | NS |
| Symptoms (duration), days | |||
| Any | 1 | 15 | |
| Fever | 1 | 11 | |
| Cough | 0 | 14 | |
| Hemoptysis | 0 | 1 | |
| Night sweats | 1 | 12 | |
| Weight loss | 0 | 8 | |
| Breathlessness | 0 | 6 | |
| Pleuritic pain | 1 | 11 | |
| Anorexia | 1 | 3 | |
| Median duration (range) | 0 (0–4) | 30 (7–98) | p < 0.0001 |
| Examination | |||
| Median body mass index (range) | 25.4 (17.5– 55.7) | 21.6 (18.5– 29.1) | p < 0.05 |
| Temperature > 37.5°C | 0 | 1 | NS |
| Abnormal respiratory examination | 4 | 13 | |
| Smear | |||
| Positive | 0 | 8 | |
| Negative | 10 | 7 | |
| Culture | |||
| Positive | 0 | 12 | |
| Negative | 10 | 3a |
Significant differences are indicated in the right-hand column. All patients had clinical features highly suggestive of TB with diagnostic features on chest radiograph and were commenced on antituberculous therapy by the treating physician.
a
One of these three patients was smear positive.