Question

A 65-year-old male presented with unexplained fever and prolonged respiratory distress despite appropriate treatment. A diagnosis of cryptic tuberculosis was made. Which of the following is the correct statement related to this condition?

• A. Positive skin tuberculin test and negative chest X-ray
• B. Positive skin tuberculin test and positive chest X-ray
• C. Negative skin tuberculin test and negative chest X-ray
• D. Negative skin tuberculin test and positive chest X-ray

Hint:

When encountering a case with unexplained symptoms and inconclusive tests, it's important to consider less common presentations of diseases, such as cryptic tuberculosis.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Cryptic tuberculosis is a form of tuberculosis where the diagnosis is difficult due to the absence of typical signs like a positive tuberculin skin test or clear chest X-ray findings. In such cases, the following condition is often observed:
A negative skin tuberculin test.
A negative chest X-ray. This combination is characteristic of cryptic tuberculosis, as the patient may have the infection, but the typical diagnostic signs are absent or subtle. Thus, the correct answer is: \[ \boxed{C} \, \text{Negative skin tuberculin test and negative chest X-ray} \]