Although the last decade has been marked by a major decline in the incidence of tuberculosis (TB) in the United States, TB remains an important diagnosis to consider among older individuals. The clinical presentation is often insidious and non-specific, as is the radiological presentation. The elderly account for a large proportion of TB cases discovered at autopsy, illustrating the difficulty of clinical diagnosis in this age group. The last decade has also seen changes in tuberculin skin testing (TST) strategies and in the treatment guidelines for latent TB. In the past, TST was recommended for almost all individuals as a part of routine health screening. TST is now targeted.
