Tuberculosis at the United States Public Health Service Hospital, Carville, Louisiana, 1922-1950.

Tuberculosis is universally a common and serious complication in leprosy patients. This is as true at the U. S. Public Health Service Hospital, Carville, Louisiana, as in leprosaria in other countries (1, 2). Of 607 patients dying in the hospital among 1,512 admitted prior to July I, 1950, 141 have had moderately 'Or far-advanced active tuberculosis at the time 'Of death. Thus tuberculosis was a primary or contributory cause in 23 per cent 'Of all deaths. At the time of death another 16 patients had minimal active tuberculosis and 13 had arrested tuberculosis. The part which tuberculosis has played in many of the deaths is difficult t'O assess, for the majority 'Of patients having it in active advanced form also have renal disease, and in the pre-sulfone days at this hospital most of the patients were also suffering from progressively active far-advanced leprosy at time 'Of death. The most common pathological process responsible for death at this hospital is amyloid degeneration of the kidney, pr'Obably due to the leprosy itself. Leprosy also at times causes death by suffocation as a result of leprous laryngitis with its laryngeal stenosis and edema. Or, a patient may die during lepra reaction. Therefore, the most that can be said is that tuberculosis is a significant contributory factor and in many cases the chief cause of death. Admissions to the hospital and deaths occurring there between February I, 1921 2 and June 30, 1950 are shown in Table 1. The ratio of males to females among patients ad-