Non immunological analytic data for the differential diagnosis between miliary tuberculosis (MTBC) and bird breeder's disease (BBD).

A group of 86 patients diagnosed as having MTBC were compared to a group of 25 patients with BBD on the basis of various blood values included in routine analysis (hemogram, leukocyte count and differential, blood electrolyte values, urea, creatinine, total proteins and proteinogram). After statistical evaluation of the results, we concluded that the finding of low values for hemoglobin, and red blood cell (RBC) count and hematocrit, alterations of leukocyte count and differential, hypoalbuminemia, and hyponatremia, in a patient with fever and a miliary chest X-ray pattern, supports the diagnosis of MTBC. On the other hand, normal values for the above parameters, together with hypergammaglobulinemia favors the diagnosis of BBD. Our data also demonstrated a 79% mortality rate in patients with MTBC and plasma urea levels of more than 55 mg/100 ml (p less than 0.001).