This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Sign in
Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Aetiology and pathogenesis

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

Mycobacteria usually enter the body via the respiratory tract. Infection through the alimentary tract is uncommon in the UK but does occur in developing countries. Infection through the skin is a very rare occurrence.

The infection may be asymptomatic. The severity of the clinical features depend on:

  • the degree of natural immunity
  • state of nourishment
  • coexisting disease e.g. malignancy or diabetes mellitus
  • immunosuppression
  • age

The pathogenesis of tuberculosis can be described in terms of:

  • primary
  • post-primary
  • miliary tuberculosis

 

Reference

Tuberculosis. NICE Guideline (January 2016 - last updated September 2019)

Related pages

Create an account to add page annotations

Create a free account

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.