What is pulmonary tuberculosis?and what causes it?

Tuberculosis is a contagious disease in which bacteria causes the tissues in the body to break down. I had TB in my lymph nodes when I was 3. They removed the infected tissue and I was on medication for 1 year and had to have chest xrays every 2 months. I still tests positive but no longer have active TB. pulmonary is TB located in the pulmonary (lung) area. Below is a link that has many answers to your questions:

TB - mycobacterium tuberculosis - usually involves the lungs, but also found in larynx, kidneys, bones, adrenal glands, lymph nodes and meninges, - can spread throughout body. m.tuberculosis, a gram positive, acid-fast bacillus, is usually spread from person to person via airborne droplets when an infected person with pulmonary of laryngeal(throat) TB coughs, sneezes, speaks or sings. Once the droplets are exhaled the organism can be inhaled by others. short exposures to TB rarely causes TB, but repeated exposure to bacillus increases the chances of contracting TB. the disease can NOT be spread by hands, books, glasses, dishes or other objects. after inhaling the bacilli the organism passes down the bronchis into the respiratory bronchioles and alveoli (tiniest air sacks of lungs). the bacilli multiply with no initial resistance from the immunesystem of the person. although the body will send out phagocytes (cells to clean up foreign organisms) the bacilli may continue multiplying within the phagocytes. as the body starts to activate its immune system the bacilli can spread via the lymphatic system and the circulating blood system to other regions. favorable environments for the bacilli are the "upper lobes of the lungs, kidneys, certain areas of the bones, cerebral cortex and adrenal glands (little organs sitting on top of the kidneys). Treating TB starts on an outpatient basis, no hospitalization is necessary. First choice treatment are: isoniazid, rifampin, ethambutol, streptomycin and pyrazinamide. 2nd line drug treatments are: ethionamide, capreomycin, kanamycin, para-aminosalicylic acid, and cycloserine. Many 2nd line drugs carry the greater risk of toxicity and require closer monitoring. short treatment courses of 6 to 9 MONTHS have been shown to be effective. usually sputum specimens are obtained on a weekly basis, then on a monthly basis to assess the effectiveness of the medications. THE REGIMEN IS CONSIDERED TO BE EFFECTIVE IF THE PATIENT CONVERTS TO A NEGATIVE TB SPUTUM STATUS.