Mayu Hikone1, Yusuke Ainoda2, Naoya Sakamoto3, Kenji Ohnishi4. 1. Department of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo Metropolitan Bokutoh General Hospital, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Emergency and Critical Care Center, Tokyo Metropolitan Bokutoh General Hospital, Tokyo, Japan. Electronic address: mayu.hikone@gmail.com. 2. Hibiya Clinic, Tokyo, Japan. 3. Department of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo Metropolitan Bokutoh General Hospital, Tokyo, Japan. 4. Department of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo Metropolitan Health and Hospitals Corporation Ebara Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: A significant feature of tuberculosis (TB) in Japan is the fact that a high proportion of cases belong to the elderly population. Furthermore, previous reports have pointed out the delayed diagnosis of pulmonary TB in acute-care settings. We aimed to examine the clinical characteristics of pulmonary TB patients in an acute-care general hospital, particularly focusing on the elderly population. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients with pulmonary TB who presented at our institution between May 2005 and December 2016. We described the overall clinical characteristics of these patients and compared them according to age. RESULTS: Overall, 289 patients were eligible for the analysis, with a median age of 58 [42-73] years, and 29.4% being older than 70 years. Among the elderly patients, 42.4% were characterized by atypical presentation. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that the elderly population tends to present as atypical cases lacking respiratory complaints, thereby being at a risk of misdiagnosis.
OBJECTIVE: A significant feature of tuberculosis (TB) in Japan is the fact that a high proportion of cases belong to the elderly population. Furthermore, previous reports have pointed out the delayed diagnosis of pulmonary TB in acute-care settings. We aimed to examine the clinical characteristics of pulmonary TBpatients in an acute-care general hospital, particularly focusing on the elderly population. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients with pulmonary TB who presented at our institution between May 2005 and December 2016. We described the overall clinical characteristics of these patients and compared them according to age. RESULTS: Overall, 289 patients were eligible for the analysis, with a median age of 58 [42-73] years, and 29.4% being older than 70 years. Among the elderly patients, 42.4% were characterized by atypical presentation. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that the elderly population tends to present as atypical cases lacking respiratory complaints, thereby being at a risk of misdiagnosis.