2020, Vol. 2, Issue 2, Part D

Methods: Clinical profile and chest radiograph results of 40 diabetics with pulmonary tuberculosis and 40 cases of pulmonary tuberculosis without diabetes were studied, compared and analyzed.

Results: Male preponderance of the disease was noted in both test and control group and peak incidence of the disease was noted in the age group of 50-59yrs in the test while in control group peak occurrence was in the age group 19-29.Weight loss was significantly high in test group when compared to control group. Majority of people in the test and control had anemia. Majority of the patients in our study had poor glucose control. Cavitary lesion was most common lesion found in both test and control group followed by fibrosis. Tuberculosis tends to occur predominantly at the lower lung fields in patients with diabetes when compared to non-diabetics.

Interpretation and conclusion: Majority of patients in the test and control group presented to us with fever and cough. Weight loss was significantly high in test group when compared to control group. In most of the cases in our study diabetes mellitus was diagnosed before the development of tuberculosis. Majority of our patients had poorly controlled blood sugars, presenting complaints of the patients are not much altered by diabetes. Lower lobe involvement is more common in diabetes with tuberculosis. Early diagnosis and properly monitored regimen is the only time tested answer to this problem.