| Tuberculosis can give a lot of symptoms to a person | | | | granulomas and caseation then there is a confirmation |
| but there are cases in which patients came to the | | | | of tuberculosis. Sputum can also be tested to see if it |
| doctor for other problems and they are discovered | | | | contains the Koch bacteria. If the tuberculosis is not |
| this disease too. Sometimes tuberculosis gives only | | | | localized in the lungs then the urine can be taken as a |
| night sweats and the patient will not go to the | | | | sample and analyzed or the LCR or even the blood. |
| doctor only for such a mild symptom. Generally | | | | The lymph noses biopsy can be made because |
| extrapulmonary tuberculosis is encountered in those | | | | tuberculosis can shed there too. If the doctor thinks |
| who have a weakened immune system and have | | | | the tuberculosis affected some other organs he will |
| other important diseases associated too. | | | | take a sample of liquid from the pleural space, the |
| The most affected of extrapulmonary TB and | | | | pericardial space, or the peritoneal space. |
| military TB are the patients who have AIDS. In those | | | | In those patients in which the sputum test got |
| patients symptoms vary from chest pains and night | | | | negative the bronchoalveolar lavage can be tested |
| sweats to morning coughing with blood. In those who | | | | too to eliminate any possibility of misdiagnosing. This |
| are in a bad status loss of weight might be | | | | is done with an optic bronchoscope which is passed |
| encountered along with these other symptoms. At | | | | from the mouth or the nose towards the trachea |
| the physical exam the doctor will hear with his | | | | and then the lungs. This procedure is not painful as |
| stethoscope diminished breath sounds and coarse | | | | the doctor uses a lidocaine spray to locally sedate |
| crackles. | | | | the patient. With the bronchoscope a sample will be |
| It is not easy to diagnose tuberculosis as the | | | | taken from the alveolar space as a saline solution will |
| symptoms can be found in other diseases too, like: | | | | be entered the lungs to flush out bacteria and loose |
| lung cancer, asperigollosis, pneumonia, sarcoidosis, | | | | cells. This solution will be collected and tested in the |
| pneumoconiosis, diabetes mellitus, hyperthyroidism | | | | end of the procedure. |
| and mediastinial lymphadenopathy. | | | | With the help of the bronchoscope biopsy can be |
| The doctor will ask for a thoracic X-ray. If | | | | performed from small tissue samples from the |
| tuberculosis is present on the thoracic X-ray | | | | bronchi. These samples will be analyzed in the |
| cavitation, calcification and nodes will be seen. Other | | | | laboratory to see if they are infected with the Koch |
| tests must me done to be sure the disease is | | | | bacilli. |
| tuberculosis. A biopsy is indicated also, and if it shows | | | | |