[Diagnostic problems of tuberculosis in old age].

Among the present epidemiologic conditions postprimary tuberculoses gain importance due to the exazerbation of latent foci. The particularly concerns the generalised senile tuberculosis. The clinical picture of a generalisation tuberculosis deviates in comparison with the course which was formerly regarded as typical. It shows a protracted, at first undramatic phase with slowly progressing development, appears intermittently, is characterized by rich, variants with regard to form, course and localisation, withdraws from radiological demonstration for a long time and thus progresses occult in general. The 35 cases should remind of diagnostic basic patterns and should take into consideration the peculiarities of exacerbated generalised tuberculoses at old age. The observation of symptomatology and paraclinical findings, bioptic examinations of the liver, bacteriologic or histologic findings of the adequate substrate, the exclusion of other organic diseases and an experiment of an antituberculotic treatment when tuberculosis is supposed may become successful measures of making the diagnosis. Even nowadays tuberculosis must be included in the differential diagnosis of several organic diseases.