Published online Jul 16, 2024. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v12.i20.4230
Revised: May 8, 2024
Accepted: May 27, 2024
Published online: July 16, 2024
Processing time: 96 Days and 14.3 Hours
The increasing prevalence of tuberculosis (TB) and diabetes on a global scale poses a significant health challenge, particularly due to their co-occurrence, which amplifies the severity, recurrence and mortality rates associated with both conditions. This highlights the need for further investigation into their inter-relationship.
To explore the computed tomography (CT) imaging and clinical significance of bacterium-positive pulmonary TB (PTB) combined with diabetes.
There were 50 patients with bacterium-positive PTB and diabetes, and 50 with only bacterium-positive PTB. The latter were designated as the control group. The CT imaging of the two groups of patients was compared, including lesion range, shape, density and calcification.
No significant differences were observed in age, gender, smoking and drinking history, high blood pressure, hyperlipidemia and family genetic factors between the groups. However, compared to the patients diagnosed solely with simple bacterium-positive PTB, those with concurrent diabetes showed a wider range of lesions and more complex and diverse morphology on CT images. Among them, intrapulmonary tuberculosis lesions were often accompanied by manifestations of pulmonary infection, such as cavity formation and bronchiectasis. At the same time, diabetes-related signs were often seen on CT images, such as pulmonary infection combined with diabetic pulmonary lesions. Logistic regression analysis identified age and medical history as significant factors influencing the degree of pulmonary infection and CT imaging outcomes in patients with both TB and diabetes. This suggests that older age and specific medical histories may increase the risk or severity of pulmonary damage in these patients.
CT imaging reveals more complex lesions in PTB patients with diabetes, emphasizing the need for careful evaluation and comprehensive analysis to enhance diagnostic accuracy.
Core tip: This study elucidated the distinct computed tomography imaging characteristics of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) in patients with diabetes, highlighting the necessity for an integrated diagnostic approach. Findings indicated that PTB-diabetes patients had more extensive, complex lesion morphologies compared to those with PTB alone. Age and medical history significantly influenced infection severity and imaging outcomes, emphasizing the importance of personalized treatment strategies. This research underscores the need for heightened clinical awareness and tailored management of this comorbidity to improve diagnostic accuracy and patient care.