Tuberculosis Course for

English-speaking students

Chapter 3. Clinical forms of tuberculosis

3.2. Primary tuberculosis complex
 3.2.2. PRIMARY TUBERCULOUSIS COMPLEX

• Clinical pattern. In infants with massive

tuberculous infection, the primary tubercular
complex proceeds as pneumonia, with
extensive damage of thoracic lymph nodes. The
disease develops with high fever and
temperature rise up to 39-40 °C, dry cough or
cough with mucous sputum, chest pain.
• Pneumonia (lobar or segmental) changes into
diffused form that depends on hyperergic
reactions and incomplete differential process in
lungs of small children.
 Figure. 1-11. Phases of the primary tuberculosis course:

• Phases
a) Phase 1 (pneumonic) of
primary complex formation
a) b)
b) Phase 2 of dissolving
(bipolarity);

с) Phase 3 - condensation

c) d)
d) Phase 4 formation of
Gohn's focus
Рис. 3-2. Primary complex:
I stage — pneumonic, (a); II stage — resorption (b); III
stage — condensation (c);IV stage — calcination (d)
Figure 3-3. This is Gohn's focus
Figure 3-3. This is Gohn's focus
Primary tuberculosis complex
Primary tuberculosis complex
Ghon comlex
Primary tuberculosis complex,
calcination phase
 Differential diagnosis of primary tubercular complex
with nonspecific pneumonia

• The development of primary TB slowed-down often

without fever and raised temperature.

• The onset of nonspecific pneumonia is acute and

abrupt, with fever and, temperature rise upto 39-40
°C.