Tuberculosis is a contagious infection caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Although tuberculosis primarily infects the lungs, known as pulmonary tuberculosis, it may also on occasion affect other organs in the body. Tuberculosis is spread from person to person through contaminated air droplets from an infected person's sneeze or cough. There are five different types of pulmonary tuberculosis; primary pneumonia, laryngeal, cavitary, miliary and pleurisy.
Primary Tuberculosis Pneumonia
Primary tuberculosis pneumonia occurs in an individual who has never been exposed to the tuberculosis bacteria before. This type of tuberculosis is very uncommon and usually occurs in the very young, the very old or those with immune-compromised systems, such as someone infected with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus).
Primary tuberculosis pneumonia, a very contagious type, presents as pneumonia, which involves inflammation of the lungs. Symptoms include a high fever accompanied by a productive cough.
Laryngeal Tuberculosis
Laryngeal tuberculosis is very uncommon, representing only 1 percent of tuberculosis cases, according to the study conducted by Dr. Tesic-Vidovic and published in "The Internet Journal of Otorhinolaryngology." Because this type of pulmonary tuberculosis is so rare, it is often misdiagnosed, which presents a health threat since it is highly contagious.
Patients with laryngeal tuberculosis often have symptoms including hoarseness, cough and difficulty breathing. These symptoms may be caused by the inflamed lesions on the larynx, which often form into ulcers, areas where the tissue is dying and eroding.
Cavitary Tuberculosis
Cavitary tuberculosis occurs as a final stage of the disease. When a person is infected with the Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the body's immune system sends in special cells called macrophages to try to surround and digest the bacteria. The bacteria, however, cannot be digested, and they continue to multiply within the macrophages, which eventually die. New macrophages come to try again, and this cycle continues until eventually the lung becomes inflamed and a cavity forms where the cells have died.
Cavitary tuberculosis is the main type of pulmonary tuberculosis that is transmitted from person to person, according to the Centers for Tuberculosis Research at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Samples taken from an infected person may test negative because the bacteria are hidden in the cavities.
Miliary Tuberculosis
Miliary tuberculosis is when the pulmonary tuberculosis becomes chronic (long-lasting) and spreads through either the bloodstream or the lymph system to infect other organs in the body.
Tuberculosis Pleurisy
A pleural effusion, also known as pleurisy, is inflammation and the build-up of fluid that occurs between the membranes that surround the lungs. This condition can be caused by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis, resulting in tuberculosis pleurisy. The symptoms of this contagious disease include shortness of breath, chest pain and excess fluid in the lungs.
