OBJECTIVETo investigate the epidemiological factors of tuberculosis (TB) in eastern Sudan.

METHODSThe socio-demographic and clinical data was retrieved from the database at Kassala hospital during the year of 2011. The medical file of consequent patients who was discharged from the same ward in the hospital was reviewed to act as control for the TB patients.

RESULTSA total of 670 patients were registered at Kassala hospital with clinical, laboratory and radiological evidence proven TB. Pulmonary TB accounted for 73.4% while extra-pulmonary TB was reported in 26.6% of all TB patients. The mean age (SD) was not significantly different between the cases and controls (670 in each arm). TB patients were those who had less education, and the infection more likely common among male patients.

CONCLUSIONSIntervention from outside the health field in particular awareness of associated risk factors and improvement of the educational level potentially will strengthen TB control.

Analysis of Variance ; Educational Status ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Health Services Accessibility ; Humans ; Medical Records ; statistics & numerical data ; Public Health ; Sex Distribution ; Sudan ; epidemiology ; Tuberculosis ; epidemiology ; prevention & control

A 25 year-old male patient was admitted to the causality with complaints of fever, joints pain, epistaxis and gingival bleeding, for the last week, the complete blood count revealed pancytopenia. Serological test for brucella was reported positive as 1/320, but the patient failed to respond to brucella treatment for 4 d. On day 5th the diagnosis of immune thrombocytopenia was confirmed after bone marrow aspiration. Steroid was initiated on 6th day after admission and on the 3rd day of steroid therapy thrombocytes count was raised to 55×10

Objective: To investigate the epidemiological factors associated with extra pulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) in Kassala, Eastern Sudan. Methods: Patients infected with TB (pulmonary and extra-pulmonary) documented at the hospital were interviewed with a structured questionnaire used to gather sociodemographic information. The diagnosis of EPTB cases was based on presence of tuberculous granulomas in the histological samples, positive PCR to DNA of mycobacterium tuberculosis, radiological findings and fluid analysis suggestive of EPTB and clinical diagnosis with adequate response to anti-tuberculous therapy. Results: A total of 985 patients with TB were enrolled in the study, including 761 (77.3%) with PTB and 224 (22.7%) with EPTB. The mean age (SD) of patients with PTB and EPTB was 33.2 (15.4) and 34.7 (14.6) years respectively. The prevalence of EPTB was at (22.7%), with TB lymphadenitis 79 (35.3%), marking the frequent form of EPTB followed by peritoneal TB 27 (12.05%). While residence and occupation were not associated with EPTB, those with lower level of education (OR = 0.3; confidence intervals (CI) = 0.2-0.5; P < 0.001), female (OR = 8.7, CI = 4.9-15.1, P < 0.001), non vaccination (OR = 70.3, CI = 34.2-144.3, P < 0.001), and non smoker (OR = 0.1; CI = 0.06-0.20; P < 0.001), were associated with high prevalence of EPTB. Conclusions: Around one quarter of patients with TB in this study were more likely to have EPTB. Therefore, effective strategic plans regarding diagnostic procedures and control measures are needed to reduce the burden of the disease in Sudan.