Extra-pulmonary TB

Table of Contents☰

About Extra-pulmonary TB:

It refers to Tuberculosis infections affecting organs other than the lung (namely lymph nodes, brain, gut, eyes, or other organs).
It is often stain negative, which means it is not detectable on regular TB stain tests.
The infection may surface in any part of the body and present itself like other non-TB conditions. Many cases of EPTB may not have a corresponding lung infection.
It can affect any organ and is more prevalent in people living with HIV.
Issues with EPTB
- A troubling aspect of EPTB infection is the prolonged presence of disease markers even after the infection is resolved with treatment.
- Diagnosis and treatment protocols for all organs affected by EPTB do not exist.
- The twin challenges in tackling EPTB are lack of awareness, even among physicians, and lack of accurate diagnostic and treatment criteria.
- Some EPTB patients who complete anti-TB therapy may still find themselves affected by the disease.
- INDEX-TB guidelines were formulated over a decade ago and need to be updated with the latest data and experience.

Q1: What is Tuberculosis?

Tuberculosis is a bacterial infection spread through inhaling tiny droplets from the coughs or sneezes of an infected person. Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria is responsible for TB.

Source: The challenge of extra-pulmonary TB