Diagnosis of Suspected Active Pulmonary Tuberculosis by Flexible Fiberoptic Bronchoscopy

Lee, Seung Joo; Yoon, Duck Keyung; Kim, Seung Ho; Park, In Won; Choi, Byoung Whui; Hue, Sung Ho; Seo, Seung Cheun

doi:1989.36.1.22

Tuberc Respir Dis > Volume 36(1); 1989 > Article

Original Article

Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases 1989;36(1):22-27.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4046/trd.1989.36.1.22 Published online March 1, 1989.

Diagnosis of Suspected Active Pulmonary Tuberculosis by Flexible Fiberoptic Bronchoscopy

Seung Joo Lee¹, Duck Keyung Yoon¹, Seung Ho Kim¹, In Won Park¹, Byoung Whui Choi¹, Sung Ho Hue¹, Seung Cheun Seo²

¹Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Jung Ang University, Seoul, Korea
²Department of Internal Medicine, Kang Nam General Hosþital, Seoul, Korea

활동성 폐결핵이 의심되는 환자에서의 기관지 내시경의 진단적 유용성

이승주¹, 윤덕경¹, 김승호¹, 박인원¹, 최병휘¹, 허성호¹, 서승천²

Abstract

To assess the value of flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy for evaluating patients suspected of having active pulmonary tuberculosis, we did undergo bronchoscopy in 65 patients. All patients (1) were clinically suspected of having active tuberculosis; (2) had an abnormality on chest x-ray; (3) had an absence of AFB on 3 sputum smears or inability to produce sputum; (4) had an absence of acute infection and malignancy. The evaluation included AFB smear and culture on bronchial washing, transbronchial biopsy, and clinical follow-up with chest x-ray was done more than 3 months Active pulmonary tuberculosis was diagnosed in 37 of 65 patients (57%). Fiberoptic bronchoscopy provided a diagnosis in 29 patients (78%). Immediate diagnosis was made in 22 patients (59%) from AFB smears on bronchial washing samples or transbronchial biopsy Cultures of bronchial washing specimen from 19 patients (51 %) were positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy is a useful procedure in evaluating patient with negative AFB smears. It can improve the ability to document active pulmonary tuberculosis and provides a sensitive means of making an immediate diagnosis and a choice of sensitive drugs.