My cough lasted only for a week and the doctor says it is tuberculosis. Please help.

Q. My cough lasted only for a week and the doctor says it is tuberculosis. Please help.

Answered by
Dr. Kumar Indubhushan Sureshprasad
and medically reviewed by iCliniq medical review team.
This is a premium question & answer published on Jun 20, 2017 and last reviewed on: Oct 09, 2018

Hello doctor,

  • There is parenchymal infiltrate on the right upper lobe of my lung.
  • My doctor said that I have a ptb3, which looks like a serious stage of tuberculosis.
  • I was shocked because I never had a cough since September.
  • Before the month of September, my cough lasted only for a week and then suddenly went off and I feel all right until now.
  • I never had a fever or cough again.
  • I searched through internet about the symptoms of tuberculosis and I found that I experienced none of those symptoms. Please help.
#

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com. 

  • Only parenchymal infiltration in the right upper lobe does not confirm tuberculosis.
  • It needs clinical correlation and further investigations.
  • You need an apicolordotic view of chest x-ray.
  • It gives an excellent view of apical region of lungs.
  • Because, in the normal chest x-ray (PA view), apical region of lungs are covered by bony ribs, clavicle etc.
  • You also have to do routine hemogram, Mantoux test, TB Gold Test (it is the most sensitive test to diagnose tuberculosis).
  • In such cases, I would suggest broad spectrum antibiotics and then go for follow up chest x-ray.
  • In non resolving infiltration, I exclude other possibilities like tuberculosis etc.
  • There is no need to panic, you should go for investigations and the treatment will depend upon the findings.

Revert back with the reports to a pulmonologist online for further follow up --> https://www.icliniq.com/ask-a-doctor-online/pulmonologist


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