Mild and severe forms of tuberculosis in diabetic and non-diabetic patients

Background: The aim of the present study was to compare the frequency of pleural tuberculosis in patients with and without diabetes mellitus (DM). Methods: Three hundred consecutive patients who were smear positive for pulmonary tuberculosis or isolated pleural tuberculosis were enrolled in the study. Patients' age and smoking status (pack-years) were recorded. Patients were divided into two groups: those with and without DM. Results: All patients enrolled in the study were male. Mean (+/- SD) patient age was 42.4 +/- 15.9 years. Of the 300 patients in the study, 48 had DM. There was no significant difference in the distribution of pulmonary tuberculosis and isolated pleural tuberculosis between patients with and without DM (P > 0.05). However, there was a significant difference in mean pack-years of smoking between patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and those with isolated pleural tuberculosis for all patients; patients with isolated pleural tuberculosis had a significantly lower number of pack-years of smoking (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Severe pulmonary involvement in DM patients may be due to smoking status.