Original Article

CT Findings of Tuberculous Pneumonia in Diabetic Patients: Comparison with Tuberculosis in Nondiabetics

Yookyung Kim, Sung Won Park, Sang Min Lee, Kyung Soo Cho
Author Information & Copyright
Department of Diagnostinc Radiology, College of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, Korea.

Copyright ⓒ 2001. Ewha Womans University School of Medicine. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Published Online: Sep 30, 2001

Abstract

Objective

To evaluate the CT findings of pulmonary tuberculosis in diabetic patients compared with patients without underlying disease.

Methods

The chest CT scans of pulmonary tuberculosis in 23 diabetic patients(M : F=21 : 2 ; mean age, 59 yrs.) and in 24 nondiabetic patients(M : F=12 : 12 ; mean age, 48 yrs.) were retrospectively analyzed by two radiologists ; decisions were reached by consensus.

Results

The frequencies of consolidation(100%, 42%), inhomogeneity of consolidation(70%, 21%), multiple small low-density areas(52%, 13%), cavitation(70%, 25%), multiple small cavity(35%, 4%), bizarre-shaped cavity(22%, 0%), air-bronchogram(95%, 54%) were significantly more common in pulmonary tuberculosis in diabetic patients than in nondiabetic patients(p<.05). There was no significant difference in localization of pulmonary lesions between diabetic and nondiabetic patients.

Conclusion

Diabetic patients have a high prevalence of inhomogeneous consolidation containing multiple small low densities and multiple or bizarre-shaped cavities than do patients without diabetics.

Keywords: Lung; Infection; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary; Diabetes mellitus