Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by HORWITZ, O.
Right arrow Articles by COMSTOCK, G. W.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by HORWITZ, O.
Right arrow Articles by COMSTOCK, G. W.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© 1973 Oxford University Press

research-article

What is a Case of Tuberculosis? The Tuberculosis Case Spectrum in Eight Countries Evaluated from 1235 Case Histories and Roentgenograms

O. HORWITZ1, and G. W. COMSTOCK2

1 Director, The Danish Tuberculosis Index Copenhagen, Denmark
2 Professor of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A.

Requests for reprints may be addressed to Dr. O. Horwitz.

Case histories and chest roentgenograms of patients who comprised representative samples of all cases diagnosed in eight different areas in Europe, Asia and America were submitted for central review and analysis. The case spectrum differed considerably among the centers. The average extent of disease varied between 0.9 and 2.1 quarters of a lung field; the frequency of cavitation between 27 and 50 per cent; and the average diameter of the cavities between 1 and 3 cm. In some centers, the cases were predominantly of a fibrotic-productive nature, while they were mostly exudative in others. Finally, the frequency of bacillary cases varied between 49 per cent and 85 per cent. Even within patients of the same category, for example in respect to nature or extent of disease, great variability was observed. Patients with similar bacteriologic status were not homogeneous with respect to radiologic characteristics as judged by either average extent of disease of frequency of cavitation.

The case spectrum of tuberculosis differs greatly in various places. This finding is significant for international comparisons of tuberculosis statistics. The use of an appropriate radiologic classification in addition to the widely recommended bacteriologic definition of a case may be useful for estimation of long-range prognsis and may provide important leads for epidemiologic studies.

Received 14 December 1972


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Am J EpidemiolHome page
Bibliography of Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles
Am. J. Epidemiol., August 20, 2008; (2008) kwn247v1.
[PDF]


Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.