Comparative Insights into COVID-19 and Tuberculosis: Clinical Manifestations, Inflammatory Markers, and Outcomes in Pulmonary Versus Extrapulmonary Tuberculosis and SARS-CoV-2 Co-Infection

Background: Tuberculosis and COVID-19 co-infection poses significant clinical challenges, with pulmonary TB (PTB) and extrapulmonary TB (extraPTB) potentially influencing disease progression and outcomes differently. This study aims to compare the clinical manifestations, inflammatory markers, and outcomes between PTB and extraPTB patients with SARS-CoV-2 co-infection. Methods: A retrospective, cross-sectional study was conducted on 55 hospitalized adults with TB-COVID-19 co-infection from March 2020 to March 2022. Patients were divided into PTB (n = 32) and extraPTB (n = 23) groups. Demographic, clinical, laboratory, and imaging data were collected and analyzed using statistical models, including ANCOVA, LASSO regression, and Random Forest classification, to identify key predictors of hospitalization duration and mortality. Results: PTB patients had significantly lower BMI, worse oxygenation status, and greater lung involvement on CT compared to extraPTB patients. CRP was elevated in PTB, while IL-6 levels were higher in extraPTB. Hospitalization duration was primarily influenced by inflammatory and coagulation markers (IL-6, D-dimer, neutrophil count, systemic inflammatory index), while higher BMI was associated with shorter stays. Mortality risk was strongly correlated with oxygenation impairment (worst SpO2, SpO2 at diagnosis), inflammatory burden (CRP, LDH), and CT severity score, rather than TB localization. Conclusions: TB localization did not independently affect hospitalization duration or mortality risk. Instead, severe lung involvement, systemic inflammation, and hypoxemia were the strongest predictors of poor outcomes. These findings emphasize the importance of early risk stratification based on respiratory and inflammatory markers to optimize patient management. Further research is needed to clarify the long-term impact of TB-COVID-19 co-infection, particularly in extraPTB cases.