Diagnosis and clinical manifestations of extra pulmonary tuberculosis

Extra pulmonary tuberculosis currently represents 25 percent of notified tuberculosis in France. All organs can be involved but the most frequent localisation are the lymph nodes. Immunodepressed patients notably those infected with HIV are particularly prone to a polyvisceral tuberculous infection. The diagnosis is often difficult on account of the polymorphism of the disease and the weak specificity of the clinical manifestation. A firm diagnosis always rests on histological or microbiological evidence. Certain recent developments should enable a more rapid microbiological diagnosis notably as a result of development in molecular biology and rapid culture techniques. The mortality and morbidity remain elevated in developing counties as in industrialised counties and clinical situations in which extra pulmonary tuberculosis occur often worsen the prognosis.