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Medical Definition of Secondary tuberculosis
1. Tuberculosis found in adults and characterised by lesions near the apex of an upper lobe, which may cavitate or heal with scarring without spreading to lymph nodes; theoretically, secondary tuberculosis may be due to exogenous reinfection or to reactivation of a dormant endogenous infection. Synonym: adult tuberculosis, postprimary tuberculosis, reinfection tuberculosis. (05 Mar 2000)