1994 Volume 69 Issue 11 Pages 681-687
We analyzed retrospectively the clinical data of 9 patients with miliary tuberculosis who had been treated in Kyoto City Hospital during the past 12 years. Majority of our patients were female (7 of 9) and were of elder age-groups (mean age: 68.5 years, range: 56-85 years). The most common symptoms at the first visit were fever, fatigue and loss of appetite, but respiratory symptoms were rather rare and moderate. Some cases showed normal chest radiograms at the onset, but during the course of the disease miliary shadows were noticed in all cases. Tuberculin test and smear examination of sputum were not diagnostic.
In 4 cases, fiberoptic bronchoscopy had been performed together with bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), bronchial washing and transbronchial lung biopsy (TBLB). Smear examina tion of BAL-fluid or bronchial washing for acid-fast bacilli was positive in all 4 cases tested.
