Watercolor drawing of miliary tuberculosis of the lung of a child. Illustration by Thomas Godart, 1855. Miliary tuberculosis (also known as "disseminated tuberculosis," "tuberculosis cutis acuta generalisata", and "Tuberculosis cutis disseminata") is a form of tuberculosis that is characterized by a wide dissemination into the human body and by the tiny size of the lesions (1-5 mm). Its name comes from a distinctive pattern seen on a chest radiograph of many tiny spots distributed throughout the lung fields with the appearance similar to millet seeds -- thus the term "miliary" tuberculosis. Miliary TB may infect any number of organs, including the lungs, liver, and spleen. Miliary tuberculosis is present in about 2% of all reported cases of tuberculosis and accounts for up to 20% of all extra-pulmonary tuberculosis cases.