Key determinants of misdiagnosis of tracheobronchial tuberculosis among senile patients in contemporary clinical practice: A retrospective analysis

Table 1 Comparison of general characteristics of patients in the two study groups

Variables	Categories	Misdiagnosed group, n = 62	Diagnosed group, n = 58	χ2	P value
Gender	Male	24 (38.71)	27 (46.55)	0.754	0.385
	Female	38 (61.29)	31 (53.45)
Age (yr)	60-70	48 (77.42)	39 (67.24)	3.283	0.194
	71-80	10 (16.13)	17 (29.31)
	> 80	4 (6.45)	2 (3.45)
Occupation	Farmer	48 (77.42)	45 (77.59)	0.000	1.000
	Non-farmer	14 (22.58)	13 (22.41)
Resident area	Rural	41 (66.13)	38 (65.52)	0.005	0.944
	Urban	21 (33.87)	20 (34.48)
Onset time		6.32 (4.94, 16.02)	3.73 (2.37, 8.52)	-3.899	0.000b

Data presented as n (%) or as median (first quartile, third quartile).

^bP < 0.01.

Table 2 Comparison of clinical features in the two groups

Variables	Categories	Misdiagnosed group, n = 62	Diagnosed group, n = 58	χ2	P value
Clinical manifestations, n (%)	Cough	53 (85.48)	49 (84.48)	0.024	0.878
	Expectoration	38 (61.29)	40 (68.97)	0.776	0.378
	Hemoptysis	11 (17.74)	14 (24.14)	0.743	0.389
	Breathlessness	23 (37.10)	18 (31.03)	0.49	0.484
	Fever (≥ 37.3 °C)	19 (30.65)	10 (17.24)	2.938	0.087
	Other systemic symptoms	14 (22.58)	11 (18.97)	0.237	0.626
Extrapulmonary tuberculosis, n (%)	Cervical lymphatic tuberculosis	2 (3.23)	1 (1.72)	-	1.000
	Bone tuberculosis	1 (1.61)	1 (1.72)	-	1.000
	Laryngeal tuberculosis	2 (3.23)	3 (5.17)	-	0.672
	Tuberculous meningitis	1 (1.61)	0 (0.00)	-	1.000
Chronic diseases, n (%)	1	15 (24.19)	7 (12.07)	2.942	0.086
	2	18 (29.03)	11 (18.97)	1.657	0.198
	≥ 3	7 (11.29)	3 (5.17)	1.468	0.226

Table 3 Comparison of computed tomography findings in the two groups

Variables	Categories	Misdiagnosed group, n = 62	Diagnosed group, n = 58	χ2	P value
CT scan	Yes	43 (69.35)	57 (98.28)	18.047	0.000b
	No	19 (30.65)	1 (1.72)
CT findings	Segmental atelectasis	21 (33.87)	30 (51.72)	3.909	0.048a
	Airway stricture/stenosis	15 (24.19)	23 (39.66)	3.311	0.069
	Mediastinal/hilar lymphadenectasis	6 (9.68)	3 (5.17)	-	0.493
	Others	1 (1.61)	1 (1.72)	-	1.000

Data presented as n (%).

^aP < 0.05.

^bP < 0.01.

Table 4 Comparison of computed tomography scan interpretation between the two groups

	CT interpretation
	Positive	Negative
Misdiagnosed group, n = 43	12 (27.91)	31 (72.09)
Diagnosed group, n = 57	29 (50.00)	28 (49.12)
χ2	5.346
P value	0.021a

Data presented as n (%).

^aP < 0.05.

Table 5 Comparison of endoscopic features and classification of tracheobronchial tuberculosis in the two groups

Variables	Categories	Misdiagnosed group, n = 62	Diagnosed group, n = 58	χ2	P value
Bronchoscopy before admission		21 (33.87)	51 (87.93)	36.491	0.000b
Classification of TBTB	I	2 (3.23)	4 (6.9)	-	0.369
	II	17 (27.42)	19 (32.76)
	III	6 (9.68)	2 (3.45)
	IV	27 (43.55)	20 (34.48)
	V	1 (1.61)	0 (0)
	VI	9 (14.52)	13 (22.41)
Range of lesion involvement	Trachea	3 (4.84)	7 (12.07)	-	0.855
	left principal bronchus	6 (9.68)	8 (13.79)
	left upper bronchus	16 (25.81)	13 (22.41)
	left lower bronchus	7 (11.29)	6 (10.34)
	Right principal bronchus	15 (24.19)	12 (20.69)
	Right upper bronchus	4 (6.45)	3 (5.17)
	Right middle bronchus	11 (17.74)	9 (15.52)

Data presented as n (%).

^bP < 0.01.