CLINICAL STUDIES ON THE PULMONALY TUBERCULOSIS COMPLICATED WITH LEPROSY (REPORT I)

Abstract

Clinical studies on the course of pulmonary tuberculosis complicated with leprosy has been conducted on tuberculosis patients admitted to National Leprosarium, Tamazensho-en during the period from 1948 to 1957. The results obtained are the following:
1. Prognosis of pulmonary tuberculosis was, in general, very severe in the period when chemotherapeutics had not been used in the treatment of tuberculosis. All forms of tuberculosis, except indurative type, showed a tendency to deteriorate. This tendency was similar to that observed in tuberculosis patients free from leprosy.
2. The course of pulmonary tuberculosis was remarkably influenced by chemotherapy. All forms of tuberculosis, except indurative type, showed a good response to chemotherapy.
3. Comparing the effect of chemotherapy on tuberculosis with and without leprosy on the same back ground, no remarkable difference was observed between these two groups, and the influence of "promin" on the course of pulmonary tuberculosis was hardly observed.
4. Activation of leprotic lesion, if it was simple, showed no notable influence on the course of pulmonary tuberculosis, but if it was succeeded by erythema nodosum or neu-ralgia, exacerbations of the disease were more frequently observed.
5. No significant difference was found between lepromatous and tuberculoid type in the occurance of tuberculosis, and in the type and extent pulmonary lesions.