In approximately what percentage of pulmonary tuberculosis cases do cavitations occur?

• A. About 40 to 87 percent of pulmonary TB cases.
• B. About 10 to 20 percent.
• C. About 70 to 90 percent.
• D. About 5 to 15 percent.

Answer: (A)

Cavitation in pulmonary TB comes from liquefaction of caseating granulomas, creating cavities in the lung that harbor large numbers of bacilli and make the disease more contagious. The frequency of cavitation varies across populations and disease stages, being more common in reactivation/post-primary TB than in primary TB, but overall it is a substantial minority to a large majority of cases. That broad variability is captured by a general estimate of about 40 to 87 percent, which aligns with many clinical and radiographic studies across different settings. In other words, cavitation is a common finding in pulmonary TB, though not universal, and the wide range reflects real-world differences among patient groups.