Tuberculosis is a life-threatening disease which affects almost all the important organs of the body. Clinically, tuberculosis is broadly categorized into three major categories.
Primary Tuberculosis
In primary tuberculosis the lymph nodes get affected leading to their swelling. Lesions are also formed which are removed during treatment. The removal of the lesion does not indicate bacterial removal as the bacteria may have gone into a dormant phase and if left untreated, it can cause TB when favourable condition comes.
Secondary Tuberculosis
Also known as post-primary tuberculosis, it is the type of tuberculosis that occurs in a person who previously had TB. In primary TB, the bacterium goes into an inactive phase while in secondary tuberculosis; the bacterium regains its active mode and causes the symptoms. Secondary tuberculosis is mostly localised to lungs as oxygen pressure is highest there. Secondary tuberculosis is more infectious than primary tuberculosis. Secondary TB increases the chance of the infection’s spread to other organs such as kidneys, heart and brain.
Disseminated Tuberculosis
The tuberculosis spread and infects the entire body system. It is a very rare type of the disease. Disseminated TB primarily affects the bones of spines, hips, joints and knees, the genital tract of women, the urinary tract and even the central nervous system. It infects the cerebrospinal fluids, the gastrointestinal tract, the adrenal gland, skin of the neck and even the heart.
Miliary Tuberculosis
It is the most severe type of tuberculosis infection. Whole of the blood stream gets infected with the bacterium. Numerous tiny lesions appear throughout the body. If the infection reaches bone marrow, it can cause anaemia. The infection in the blood causes uncontrolled multiplication of white blood cells, thereby leading to leukaemia-like conditions.
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