What is tuberculosis also called?
Disease description:
I’ve been coughing continuously for the past few days and have had a slight fever. I’m worried it might be tuberculosis—could you tell me what other names tuberculosis goes by?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Guo Xiheng
Tuberculosis (TB), also known as “pulmonary consumption,” is a chronic infectious disease primarily caused by infection with *Mycobacterium tuberculosis*. Pulmonary tuberculosis is the most common form; however, extrapulmonary manifestations—including lymph node TB, intestinal TB, and renal TB—may also occur. The hallmark pathological features include tuberculous granulomas, caseous necrosis, and cavity formation. Typical clinical manifestations include prolonged low-grade fever, productive cough, weight loss, and hemoptysis. Definitive diagnosis requires medical evaluation at a hospital, including chest radiography, sputum acid-fast bacilli (AFB) smear microscopy, and sputum mycobacterial culture.
