INTRA-THORACIC TUBERCULOUS LYMPHADENOPATHY IN ADULTS

Mediastinal or hilar lymphadenopathy secondary to tuberculosis, though common in children with primary tuberculosis, has been reported as an unusual mode of presentation of tuberculosis in the adult. This type of nodal enlargement usually suggests the presence of a malignant process or sarcoidosis, and tuberculosis is often not considered in the differential diagnosis. This study is a retrospective analysis of 33 cases of adult tuberculosis with intrathoracic lymphadenopathy detected during the last 20 yr. The purpose of this article is to bring this somewhat atypical but not rare presentation of tuberculosis in the adult patient to the attention of the clinician. Intrathoracic lymphadenopathy secondary to tuberculosis has been considered to be an uncommon clinical and roentgenographic entity in adults, consisting of about 5%-7% of all cases of adult pulmonary tuberculosis. This roentgenographic appearance is not commonly associated with tuberculosis. Tuberculosis should be suspected as the cause of mediastinal or hilar lymphadenopathy in a young black women with fever and weight loss.