Extra-pulmonary TB: a comparison between migrants and populations born in a low-incidence country
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Authors
Khaw C.R.
Malhotra A.M.
Tehranchi S.
Rahman A.
White V.
Tiberi S.
Kunst H.
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Issue Date
2026
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Article
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B A C K G R O U N D: The proportion of TB cases attributable to extra-pulmonary TB (EPTB) is increasing in high-income countries, including England. We sought to describe the burden of EPTB in East London, an area with a large migrant population and high TB incidence. M E T H O D S: A retrospective analysis of individuals with TB was conducted and compared to national data. R E S U L T S: 1,262 patients were diagnosed with TB between 2016 and 2019. 52.7% had EPTB, 32.6% isolated pulmonary TB (PTB), and 14.7% concurrent disease. This compares to 43.8% of individuals nationally with isolated EPTB. In our cohort, of those with EPTB, 83.6% were non-UK-born (migrants). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that migrants had significantly higher odds of EPTB compared to UK-born individuals after adjusting for age and sex (adjusted odds ratio: 1.55, 95% confidence interval: 1.16-2.09, P 1/4 0.003). Median time since entry to the UK among migrants who were diagnosed with EPTB was 11 years (interquartile range: 5-21). Treatment outcomes were worse in migrants with EPTB, mainly due to higher mortality. C O N C L U S I O N: Our data reports a higher proportion of EPTB compared to national data. EPTB was more common in migrants than UK-born individuals.Copyright © 2026 The Union.
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International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease
Volume
30
Issue
2