Abstract: Objective  To evaluate clinical characteristics of elder patients with acute hematogenous disseminated pulmonary tuberculosis. Methods  We analyzed retrospectively the clinical data from 33 elder patients with acute hemotogenous pulmonary tuberculosis hospitalized in Beijing Chest Hospital Affiliated Capital Medical University in recent 6 years. Results  In 33 patients, the mainly clinical symptoms presented were fever, cough, fatigue and anorexia. Seven cases with positive smear，while 4 cases with positive sputum culture. The chest X-ray or computed tomography (CT) showed miliary nodules in whole lung field of double lungs in 32 cases. Nutritional risk assessment score were more than 3 scores in 32 cases, 30 cases were complicated with hypoalbuminemia, 29 cases with total lymphocyte counts below 1.2×109/L. Thirty-two patients with high-risk or chronic diseases, 8 patients with tuberculous meningitis, 6 cases with bone joint tuberculose and 16 cases were misdiagnosed with other diseases. Thirty cases were treated with individual anti-tuberculosis therapy regimens and 25 patients were improved. Conclusion  Acute hematogenous disseminated pulmonary tuberculosis in elder patients is serious, with many complications, untypical clinical manifestations, high rate of misdiagnosis and malnutrition. However most patients can get better when they are treated individually.

Key words: Tuberculosis pulmonary/transmission, Aged