Tuberculosis: an ancient and evergreen disease.

T uberculosis (TB) is a fascinating disease, and still represents a ‘‘special laboratory’’ for immunologists, pathologists, radiologists, respiratory physicians, paediatricians, public-health experts and other specialists. TB, after affecting mammoths and Egyptian mummies, has infected a large fraction of mankind (about one third of them, according to Mantoux-based estimates) of whom no more than 10% of the immunocompetent and up to 50% of immunocompromised individuals, at the end, develop the disease [1, 2].