Tuberculosis without fever

Abstract

Fever is usually thought to accompany tuberculosis. However, a review of 103 cases of tuberculosis presenting to a general hospital showed that 53% of the patients did not have fever when they first came to the outpatient clinic, and 10% did not have fever at any time while under observation. Absence of fever in a patient with pulmonary disease should not be used as evidence against the presence of tuberculosis.