Is tuberculosis harmful only to the lungs? absolutely wrong! Other organs can be deadly!

May 13, 2019 / BIOON / - which parts of the body will be affected by tuberculosis? The most common effect of tuberculosis is the lung, which is known as the human lung system But it also affects other organs, that is, extrapulmonary tuberculosis Other organs that may be affected include the intima covering the lungs (tuberculosis of the pleura); the central nervous system (tuberculous meningitis); bones and joints (musculoskeletal system); lymph nodes; the abdomen - areas that may affect the liver, spleen, and intestines (tuberculosis of the abdomen); the kidneys and bladder (tuberculosis of the urogenital system); and blood A study conducted in Johannesburg showed that the most common sites of extrapulmonary tuberculosis were pleura (39.1%), lymph nodes (31.0%), blood (21.8%), central nervous system (7.3%) and abdomen (2.9%) Photo source: another study conducted in KwaZulu Natal province, http://cn.bing.com, also shows that pleural tuberculosis is the most common form of extrapulmonary tuberculosis (36% of patients) How common is this tuberculosis? What is the cause of it? According to the latest TB report of the World Health Organization, in 2017, 14% of the world's recorded TB cases were extrapulmonary TB Across the continent, 1323450 cases of extrapulmonary tuberculosis have been recorded, accounting for 16 per cent It accounts for 11% of all TB cases reported in South Africa It is important that, unlike tuberculosis, which spreads from person to person through the air, extrapulmonary tuberculosis is not infectious A key risk factor for extrapulmonary tuberculosis is impaired immune system, which is why it is more common in people living with HIV This can also be seen in patients with diabetes, cancer, low weight and chronic kidney disease Smoking and the use of drugs that inhibit the immune system also increase the risk of extrapulmonary tuberculosis Although risk factors vary, all types of TB develop in the same way Tuberculosis infection occurs when a person inhales droplets containing TB bacteria Once inhaled, the bacteria enter the lungs If the immune system functions normally, the body's response to foreign pathogens will produce a variety of mechanisms to inhibit bacteria The end result is usually an isolated "granuloma" that prevents TB bacteria from multiplying and making people sick Photo source: http://cn.bing.com in some patients, tuberculosis will be transferred to another part of the body before the lungs are isolated In healthy people with a strong immune system, other organs or systems form a "barrier" similar to pulmonary granuloma But if this defense mechanism fails, bacteria will multiply and cause disease in specific organ systems This is known as primary tuberculosis and is usually seen in children Sometimes, a person can successfully isolate TB when they are healthy But when their immune system weakens with age, or diseases like HIV and diabetes, the wall is broken If this happens, the bacteria will multiply and cause disease How to diagnose and treat extrapulmonary tuberculosis? Clinicians find the diagnosis of extrapulmonary tuberculosis challenging This is because patients do not have the typical symptoms and signs of tuberculosis - chronic cough, fever, weight loss and night sweats In some cases, signs and symptoms may be very vague and may mimic other situations All of this means that clinicians must have strong doubts about whether their patients have extrapulmonary tuberculosis before they can start looking for such a diagnosis Diagnostic methods include X-ray, CT scan or MRI, and appropriate samples need to be sent to the laboratory for detection of tuberculosis The type of sample that should be sent depends on the organ system involved For example, for tuberculosis of lymph nodes, lymph node biopsy (tissue specimen) should be sent to the laboratory; for tuberculosis of pleura, pleural fluid examination should be sent It is worth noting that in some cases, even if the laboratory results may be negative, clinicians can still choose treatment and additional special diagnosis (biopsy, CT scan) according to the high degree of clinical suspicion and the many clinical symptoms and signs Photo source: http://cn.bing.com the drugs used to treat extrapulmonary tuberculosis are the same as those used to treat tuberculosis The only difference is that extra pulmonary tuberculosis takes longer to treat and depends on the organ system involved Most cases of extra pulmonary tuberculosis are treated for nine months, but sometimes longer The treatment is oral, a compound pill given according to a person's weight There is no need for hospitalization unless the patient is seriously ill Patients can continue to take medicine at home How does a person know that he has this disease? The performance of extrapulmonary tuberculosis depends on which organ is involved One example is tuberculosis of the lymph nodes in a person's neck, which can manifest as a distinct growth or mass There are many reasons for this growth, one of which is tuberculosis, and doctors will know how to diagnose it Therefore, when your body is not in time, early medical treatment is an important starting point Reference materials: [1] TB doesn't only attack the lungs - other organizations are also vulnerable [2] s gouden et al Extraordinarily tuberculosis in the setting of HIV hyperactivity at a tertiary hospital in Durban, South Africa Southern African Journal of infectious diseases.doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/23120053.2017.1403207 [3] world Tuberculosis Day 2019 【4】 global TUBERCULOSIS 2018 REPORT Executive summary