Clinical and X-ray characteristics of newly diagnosed infiltrative pulmonary tuberculosis in elderly and senile individuals

Objective: to analyze clinical and X-ray manifestations of the first detected infiltrative pulmonary tuberculosis in those elderly in the Voronezh region for the period 2018-2023. Material and methods. 92 patients with tuberculosis were examined. Patients were divided into groups: group 1 – elderly patients, group 2 – senile patients. Clinical manifestations, X-ray picture of tuberculosis, frequency of mycobacterial excretion, and timely detection of tuberculosis were assessed. Results. Respiratory symptoms in the form of a combination of cough and dyspnea were detected in 52.4% of patients in group 1 (p<0.001) and in 46.4% of patients in group 2 (p=0.002). Intoxication syndrome in the form of weakness was determined in 73.2% of patients in group 1 and in 63.7% of patients in group 2 (p<0.001 in both groups). Bacteriocretion was observed in 76% of cases among both groups of patients (p<0.001). The pathological process in the lungs was unilateral in 67.4% of patients in both groups (p=0.001). With bilateral prevalence of tuberculous changes, damage to both upper lobes was detected in 26 (86.7%) of 30 patients (p<0.001). Conclusion. In the clinical picture of infiltrative pulmonary tuberculosis in individuals over 60 years of age, the most common respiratory and intoxication manifestations were cough with dyspnea (group 1 – 52.4%; group 2 – 46.4%) and weakness (group 1 – 52.4%; group 2 – 46.4%). Most elderly and senile patients had unilateral lung damage (67.4%). Bacterial excretion was detected in 76% of cases, destruction of lung tissue – in 63.5% of elderly patients and 44.8% of senile patients, which indicates that pulmonary tuberculosis is not detected in a timely manner.