OBJECTIVETo characterize the differences between clinical manifestations in immunocompromised patients (ICPs) and non-immunocompromised patients (non-ICPs) with tuberculosis.

METHODSUnderlying diseases, clinical presentations, misdiagnosis, treatment and prognosis, etc, were analyzed retrospectively in 115 tuberculosis patients, including 39 ICPs and 76 non-ICPs.

RESULTSCompared with non-ICPs, the individuals who were ICP had more expectoration (64.1% vs 35.5%), pulmonary moist rale (41.0% vs 9.2%), miliary pulmonary tuberculosis (30.8% vs 2.6%), pleural effusion (48.7% vs 25.0%) and lymphadenopathy (18.0% vs 4.0%). ICPs had less lung cavity (15.4% vs 22.4%) and pleural thickening (15.4% vs 23.7%) compared to non-ICPs. Pulmonary tuberculosis in ICPs was prone to be misdiagnosed as pneumonia (23.1% vs 6.6%). Pulmonary tuberculosis was found in the apicoposterior segment (SI + SII) in more cases in non-ICPs (21.7%, 10/46) than ICPs (10.3%, 3/29). The diagnostic value of tuberculin skin test and adenosine deaminase in pleural effusions was limited in ICPs. ICPs had significantly poorer prognoses than non-ICPs.

CONCLUSIONThe clinical manifestations of ICPs with tuberculosis are atypical, misdiagnosis often occurs, resulting in a worse prognosis.