Clinical Study on Endobronchial Tuberculosis

Song, Jae Hoon; Han, Sung Koo; Heo, In Mok

doi:1985.32.4.276

Tuberc Respir Dis > Volume 32(4); 1985 > Article

Original Article

Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases 1985;32(4):276-282.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4046/trd.1985.32.4.276 Published online December 1, 1985.

Clinical Study on Endobronchial Tuberculosis

Jae Hoon Song, Sung Koo Han, In Mok Heo

Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea

기관지 결핵의 임상적 관찰

송재훈, 한성구, 허인목

Abstract

Endohronchial tuherculosis had been a diagnostic challenge in pre-bronchoscopic era and it is still a troublesome therapeutic problem due to its sequelae, i.e. , cicartrical stenosis, ectatic change of large bronchi. The authors analysed the clinical features, radiological findings, pathology, bronchoscopic finding and the results of steroid therapy in 40 endobronchial tuberculosis patients. The peak incidence was in the third decade and male to female ratio was 1 : 4. Cough was the most common symptom(87. 5%), followed by dyspnea(60%) and rale, wheeze, and decreased breath sound was heard in 35%, 27.5%, 27. 5% respectively. In chest X-ray, atelectasis was observed in 45%. Bronchoscopy showed inflammation and/or necrosis in 52.5% and fibrotic stenosis in 40%; microscopic examination revealed chronic granulomatous inflammation in 62.5%. Therapy with antituberculous drugs plus steroid was performed in 16 cases, among which 10 patients shαved radiological improvement. Most of them were in early phase with symptom duration less than 3 months. The authors conclude that steroid therapy may be beneficial in early phase of endobronchial tuberculosis.