Drug-sensitive tuberculosis, multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, and nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease in nonAIDS adults: comparisons of thin-section CT findings

The aim of this work was to compare thin-section CT (TSCT) findings of drug-sensitive (DS) tuberculosis (TB), multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB, and nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) pulmonary disease in nonAIDS adults. During 2003, 216 (113 DS TB, 35 MDR TB, and 68 NTM) patients with smear-positive sputum for acid-fast bacilli (AFB), and who were subsequently confirmed to have mycobacterial pulmonary disease, underwent thoracic TSCT. The frequency of lung lesion patterns on TSCT and patients’ demographic data were compared. The commonest TSCT findings were tree-in-bud opacities and nodules. On a per-person basis, significant differences were found in the frequency of multiple cavities and bronchiectasis (P<0.001, chi-square test and multiple logistic regression analysis). Multiple cavities were more frequent in MDR TB than in the other two groups and extensive bronchiectasis in NTM disease (multiple logistic regression analysis). Patients with MDR TB were younger than those with DS TB or NTM disease (P<0.001, multiple logistic regression analysis). Previous tuberculosis treatment history was significantly more frequent in patients with MDR TB or NTM disease (P<0.001, chi-square test and multiple logistic regression analysis). In patients with positive sputum AFB, multiple cavities, young age, and previous tuberculosis treatment history imply MDR TB, whereas extensive bronchiectasis, old age, and previous tuberculosis treatment history NTM disease.