Secondary Vs. Cavitary Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis is a contagious disease caused by infection with a bacteria called mycobacterium tuberculosis. The terms secondary and cavitary tuberculosis both describe aspects of the disease when it reactivates after a primary infection.

Secondary Tuberculosis

• Secondary tuberculosis is a general term that describes the reactivation of old tuberculosis lesions or the eventual transformation of a primary infection into a chronic condition, according to the Stritch School of Medicine at Loyola University Chicago.

Cavitary Tuberculosis

• The term cavitary tuberculosis refers to a highly contagious secondary reactivation of the disease that occurs in the upper lobes of the lung, where tuberculosis bacteria thrive on an ample air supply, according to HealthCommunities.com.

Immune Response

• Individuals with secondary tuberculosis experience the disease despite an acquired cellular immunity to the effects of tuberculosis bacteria, the Stritch School of Medicine reports. However, this immunity typically keeps the disease from spreading beyond localized areas to the rest of the lungs or body.

Cavitary Symptoms

• Potential symptoms of cavitary tuberculosis include fever, a phlegm-producing cough, night sweats, weakness and weight loss, HealthCommunities.com reports. Some individuals also cough up blood.

Considerations

• Roughly 5 percent of secondary reactivations happen within two years of the primary infection. However, reactivation can occur years or decades later, the Stritch School of Medicine notes.