Incidence and prognosis of tuberculosis in patients with cirrhosis of the liver. A Danish nationwide population based study.

We examined the incidence rate and prognosis of tuberculosis in a cohort of patients with liver cirrhosis in Denmark. In a study cohort of 22675 patients with liver cirrhosis, we identified 151 cases of tuberculosis from 1977 to 1993. The incidence rate was 168.6 per 100000 person-years of risk, and the highest incidence rate was among men above 65 years of age, with an incidence rate of 246.0 per 100000 person-years of risk. The 30-day case-fatality rate was 27.3% and the 1-year case fatality rate was 47.7%. The results demonstrate that patients with liver cirrhosis are at increased risk of tuberculosis. Additionally, it is suggested that liver cirrhosis is an independent risk factor for tuberculosis, and that patients with liver cirrhosis who acquire tuberculosis have a poor prognosis.