Pulmonary tuberculosis in youth

The study of the group younger than 29 years of age with pulmonary tuberculosis was carried out. Thirty seven out of 287 tuberculosis patients who were discharged from National Chiba-Higashi Hospital in 1989 were enrolled. Only 5 patients (13.5%) were associated with complication. The smear and culture of sputum for acid-fast bacilli were positive in 30 cases (81.1%) and chest X-ray films revealed cavitary lesion in 31 cases (83.3%). Many of them were moderately advanced cases. Twenty four of them were found symptomatically, 10 by mass survey and 3 under treatment of other diseases. The total delay of symptomatic patients was 8.5 weeks until 80% of them were definitely diagnosed. The days of hospital stay were 122 until half patients were discharged. Five of them (13.5%) were non-Japanese and all stayed in Japan illegally. Their condition was rather severe.