Effect of type 2 diabetes mellitus on clinical and radiological presentation and drug resistance in pulmonary tuberculosis

Studies suggest that tuberculosis (TB) patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) present atypically. This study was done to assess symptoms, radiological findings and multidrug resistance in TB patients with or without diabetes. A prospective study on 100 TB patients was carried out in a tertiary care hospital. The clinical presentation of patients in two groups did not vary. Bilateral and lower lobe involvement was seen more in diabetics. Lung cavitation and multidrug resistance was predominant in non-diabetics. Though clinical presentations remain the same, radiological findings vary in diabetics. This information can help in better understanding and thereby better treatment outcomes in patients with TB and DM.