- Abstract -

Objectives: Pulmonary tuberculosis is one of the most important disorders as far as global mortality is concerned. Diabetes mellitus represents a major risk factor in pulmonary tuberculosis especially in areas where endemics maintain uncontrolled values. In its turn, pulmonary tuberculosis may complicate diabetes mellitus, the two disorders negatively enhancing each other. The present study aims at revising the data on the role of diabetes mellitus in clinical-radiological manifestations and therapeutic results of pulmonary tuberculosis. Besides, the study also analyzes epidemiological aspects of the two disorders, the potential mechanisms by which diabetes mellitus can induce pulmonary tuberculosis, the effects of tuberculosis on the control of diabetes mellitus, as well as therapeutic and pharmacokinetic problems related to the co-existence of diabetes mellitus and pulmonary tuberculosis.

Key words: pulmonary tuberculosis, diabetes mellitus, association