Abstract: Objective  To investigate the clinical characteristics and CT features of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis complicated with lung cancer and to distinguish these patients early.  Methods  We analyzed retrospectively the data, such as demography, clinical characteristics, relationship of lung cancer lesions and tuberculosis focus, confirmed time, pathological type of lung cancer，confirmed diagnosis methods, from 156 pulmonary tuberculosis patients complicated with lung cancer admitted in our hospital from Jan. 2000 to Dec. 2011.  Results  Pulmonary tuberculosis accompanied by lung cancer was more common in the aged male patients. Blood-stained sputum was mainly clinical characteristic in these patients. CT scan showed that most nodular lesions localized in upper lobe. Some lesions were presented as mass. The patients with lesions localized the same lobe of ipsilateral lung were 19 (12.2%). The lesions of pulmonary tuberculosis and lung cancer localized in different lobe among 72 cases(46.2%). In 65 cases, some lesions of pulmonary tuberculosis and lung cancer were overlapped partially. There were 67 cases diagnosed as lung cancer after pulmonary tuberculosis confirmed and 6 cases diagnosed as pulmonary tuberculosis after lung cancer confirmed. 83 cases were diagnosed as pulmonary tuberculosis and lung cancer no more than two months. The mean time of confirmed diagnosis was from 11.4 months to 150 months. The major pathological type was non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Productive cough and fiberoptic bronchoscopic brushing were the primary way to examine the tumor cells.  Conclusion  The patients with pulmonary tuberculosis complicated with lung cancer presented some special clinical characteristics and CT features. Diagnosis earlier is contributed to treat synchronously in time and to improve prognosis.

Key words: Tuberculosis, pulmonary/radiography, Tuberculosis, pulmonary/complications, Lung neoplasms, Tomography, X-ray computed