Pulmonary tuberculosis: the day after

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) is a widespread disease, and in spite of timely diagnosis and treatment it can permanently compromise lung function.

OBJECTIVE: To study the prevalence of pulmonary impairment in cured adult pulmonary TB (PTB) patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Adult cured PTB patients were included in the study; those with any other condition or disease affecting lung function were excluded. After detailed history taking and examination, all patients underwent chest X-ray (CXR) and spirometry; 76 patients were investigated for pulmonary hypertension using electrocardiogram and two-dimensional echocardiogram.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: A total of 264 patients were enrolled in the study. The majority were male and aged between 40 and 50 years. The most common complaint was cough with expectoration. CXR showed varying degrees of lung destruction, with 38% of the patients having Wilcox Grade II involvement. Spirometry was normal in 34 cases, while in the remaining cases varying degrees of obstructive airway disease with restrictive pattern and reversibility were observed. Seventy-two patients had evidence of pulmonary hypertension. These findings are comparable to those reported in the literature.

CONCLUSION: PTB patients need long-term follow-up to diagnose and treat functional impairment after cure.