Tuberculosis.

In the United States, the incidence of tuberculosis (TB) is higher in elderly persons than in any other segment of the population, except in HIV-infected persons. The diagnosis of TB, however, is all too often not considered in geriatric patients. Although elderly nursing home residents are at a greater risk for TB than the aging population in the community setting, the majority (80%) of active TB cases in elderly persons occur in community dwellers. The diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of TB are reviewed in this article.