ABSTRACT

Approximately 7% of the population is infected with the tubercle bacillus. In the upcoming years with more and more of the population becoming immunodeficient because of HIV or neoplasia, it can be expected that tuberculosis will once again become a disease that will be in the forefront of thoracic surgery. About 10% of those infected with M ycobacterium tuberculosis will develop clinically sig­ nificant disease. The clinical manifestations of tuberculosis are present more of­ ten in the elderly and in new immigrant groups. M ycobacterium tuberculosis is so virulent that infection may be initiated by a single organism to an alveolus in susceptible people.