Determining the frequency of pulmonary tuberculosis in patients presenting with bronchogenic carcinoma at tertiary care hospital, Karachi
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61529/idjp.v35i2.529Abstract
Background: Pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) may accompany bronchogenic carcinoma, making it very difficult to diagnose and treat.
Material and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out at Outpatient Department of Pulmonology, Ojha Institute of Chest Diseases, Karachi, 1st November 2025 – 30th April 2026. Consecutive enrolment of adult patients with histopathologically or radiologically confirmed bronchogenic carcinoma was done (n = 97). The diagnosis of PTB was done by acid-fast bacilli (AFB) smear, Lowenstein-Jensen media culture, or Xpert MTB/RIF assay. Chi-square or Fisher exact tests were used to analyze the association between PTB and patient characteristics and multivariate logistic regression was used to determine independent predictors. P value of less than or equal to 0.05 was considered to be significant.
Results: The study involved 97 patients who were diagnosed with bronchogenic carcinoma. The mean age was 58.4 ± 11.7 years, and 62.9% were males. The diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) was made in 38 patients (39.2%). In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, male sex (AOR = 3.18, p = 0.048), rurality (AOR = 6.85, p < 0.001), low education (AOR = 4.72, p = 0.015), and low income (AOR = 5.90, p = 0.014) were independently associated with an increased likelihood of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) among patients with bronchogenic carcinoma.
Conclusion: PTB was prevalent among bronchogenic carcinoma patients. Male gender, rural residence, low education, and low income were significantly associated with a higher likelihood of PTB, whereas age showed no significant association.
Keywords: Bronchogenic Carcinoma, Comorbidity, Cross-Sectional studies, Pulmonary tuberculosis.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Dr. Komal Sikander, Dr. Faisal Asad, Dr. Muzamil Ahmed, Dr. Purwa Kumari, Dr. Aftab Ahmed, Dr. Asim Shafeeque Channar
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