Tuberculosis differential diagnosis

Tuberculosis Microchapters
Home
Patient Information
Overview
Historical Perspective
Classification
Pathophysiology
Causes
Differentiating Tuberculosis from other Diseases
Epidemiology and Demographics
Risk Factors
Screening
Natural History, Complications and Prognosis
Children
HIV Coinfection
Diagnosis
History and Symptoms
Physical Examination
Laboratory Findings
Electrocardiogram
Chest X Ray
CT
MRI
Echocardiography or Ultrasound
Other Imaging Findings
Other Diagnostic Studies
Treatment
Medical Therapy
Special Conditions
Drug-resistant
Surgery
Primary Prevention
Secondary Prevention
Cost-Effectiveness of Therapy
Future or Investigational Therapies
Case Studies
Case #1
Tuberculosis differential diagnosis On the Web
Most recent articles
Most cited articles
Review articles
CME Programs
Powerpoint slides
Images
American Roentgen Ray Society Images of Tuberculosis differential diagnosis All Images X-rays Echo & Ultrasound CT Images MRI
Ongoing Trials at Clinical Trials.gov
US National Guidelines Clearinghouse
NICE Guidance
FDA on Tuberculosis differential diagnosis
CDC on Tuberculosis differential diagnosis
Tuberculosis differential diagnosis in the news
Blogs on Tuberculosis differential diagnosis
Directions to Hospitals Treating Tuberculosis
Risk calculators and risk factors for Tuberculosis differential diagnosis

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Alejandro Lemor, M.D. [2]

Overview

Pulmonary tuberculosis must be differentiated from other diseases that cause cough, fever, night sweats, hemoptysis and weight loss, such as: brucellosis, bronchogenic carcinoma, Hodgkin lymphoma, bacterial pneumonia, sarcoidosis, mycoplasmal pneumonia.

Differential Diagnosis

Pulmonary Tuberculosis

Disease	Findings
Bacterial pneumonia	Sudden onset of symptoms, such as high fever, cough, purulent sputum, chest pain. Consolidation on chest X-ray, leukocytosis.
Bronchogenic carcinoma	Can be asymptomatic, usually at older ages (> 50 years old), cough, hemoptysis, weight loss
Brucellosis	Fever, anorexia, night sweats, malaise,back pain , headache, and depression. History of exposure to infected animal
Hodgkin lymphoma	Fever, night sweats, pruritus, painless adenopathy, mediastinal mass
Mycoplasmal pneumonia	Gradual onset of dry cough, headache, malaise, sore throat. Diffuse bilateral infiltrates in chest X-ray.
Sarcoidosis	Non-caseating granulomas in lungs and other organs, bilateral hiliar adenopathy, predominantly in African American females.

Extra-Pulmonary Tuberculosis

Extra-Pulmonary Location	Differential Diagnosis
Tuberculous Lymphadenitis	Lymphoma, squamous cell carcinoma, papillary thyroid cancer, pyogenic infection
Skeletal Tuberculosis	Multiple myeloma, bone metastasis, Bacterial spine abscess, osteoporosis
Tuberculous Arthrits	Bacterial septic arthritis, pesudogout
Central Nervous System Tuberculosis	Bacterial meningitis, viral meningitis, encephalitis
Tuberculosis Peritonitis	Bacterial peritonitis, Chronic peritoneal dialysis