Tuberculosis, miliary

Tuberculosis, miliary: The presence of numerous sites of tuberculosis infection each of which is minute, due to dissemination of infected material through the bloodstream in a process somewhat like the metastasis of a malignancy. The word "miliary" is a botanical borrowing by medicine and refers to the millet seed. Millet is a small-grained rather inferior cereal grass. Its seed measures about 2 millimeters in diameter.