Tuberculosis

Peter DO Davies, Cardiothoracic Centre, Liverpool, UK

Published online: January 2007

DOI: 10.1002/9780470015902.a0002221.pub2

Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It normally affects the lungs, causing chronic, progressive symptoms of cough, weight loss and malaise. The disease is normally curable with a six-month course of appropriate antibiotics.

Keywords: tuberculosis; disease; treatment; mycobacteria

Figure 1. Chest X-ray of an 18-month-old child showing collapse of the right middle lobe characteristic of primary tuberculosis.
Figure 2. Chest X-ray of a middle-aged male showing pneumonic changes with cavitation of the left upper lobe. The sputum was smear positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
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 References
    Humphries MJ, Byfield SB, Darbyshire J et al. (1984) Deaths occurring in newly notified patients with pulmonary tuberculosis in England and Wales. British Journal of Diseases of the Chest 78: 149–158.
    Kenyon TA, Mwasekaga MJ, Huebner R et al. (1999) Low levels of drug resistance amidst rapidly increasing tuberculosis and human immunodeficiency virus co-epidemics in Botswana. International Journal of Tuberculosis and LungDisease 3: 4–11.
    Maher D and Nunn P (1998) Tuberculosis: an international perspective. Journal of the Royal College of Physicians (London) 32: 309–313.
    Moore RD, Chaulk CP, Griffiths R, Cavalcante S and Chaisson RE (1996) Cost-effectiveness of directly observed versus self-administered therapy for tuberculosis. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine 154: 1013–1019.
    book "National Collaborating Centre for Chronic Conditions" (2006) Tuberculosis: Clinical Diagnosis and Management of Tuberculosis, and Measures for its Prevention and Control. A Clinical Guideline for the NHS in England and Wales. London: Royal College of Physicians.
    Squire SB, Obasi A and Nhlema-Simwaka B (2006) The Global Plan to Stop TB: a unique opportunity to address poverty and the Millennium Development Goals. Lancet 367: 955–957.
    other http://www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/tb/pdf/2003_Annual_Report.pdf. Updated December 2005, accessed 8/8/06.
 Further Reading
    book Cole ST, Eisenach KD, McMurray DN and Jacobs WR Jr. (eds) (2005) Tuberculosis and the Tubercle bacillus. Washington: ASM press.
    book Crofton J, Horne N and Miller F (1999) Clinical Tuberculosis. Paris: IUATLD.
    book Davies PDO (ed.) (2003) Clinical Tuberculosis, 3rd edn. London: Arnold
    other Harries AJ and Maher D (2004) TB/HIV: A Clinical Manual, 2nd edn. (WHO/HTM/TB/2004.329)
    book Rom WN and Garay SM (2004) Tuberculosis, 2nd edn. Philadelphia, USA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Related Sub-Topics:

Bacteria | Medical Microbiology
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Article Title: Tuberculosis
 
How to Cite close
Davies, Peter DO(Jan 2007) Tuberculosis. In: eLS. John Wiley & Sons Ltd, Chichester. http://www.els.net [doi: 10.1002/9780470015902.a0002221.pub2]