Tuberculosis

Overview
Signs/Symptoms
Tests
Treatment
Sources

Signs and Symptoms
Latent TB infection does not cause any symptoms. Someone may have a latent TB infection for years without knowing it. It is usually diagnosed when a person has a positive TB skin test (PPD test).

The symptoms of active TB depend on what part(s) of the body are involved. The classic symptoms tend to be pulmonary (TB in the lungs) and include:

Chronic cough, sometimes with bloody sputum
Fever
Chills
Weight loss
Weakness

If the TB is extrapulmonary (outside of the lungs), it may cause few noticeable symptoms or a wide range including:

Back pain and paralysis (spinal TB)
Weakness due to anemia (TB in the bone marrow)
Joint pain
Pain associated with reproductive system or urinary tract, and possibly, resulting in infertility
Abdominal pain
Fever and shortness of breath (TB in the lining around the heart, the pericardium, or miliary TB, a large number in the bloodstream)
Altered mental state, headache and coma (TB in the brain and/or central nervous system)

All of these symptoms may also be seen in a variety of other conditions. A diagnosis of active tuberculosis depends on the positive identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the body fluids or tissues.