Intestinal tuberculosis presents with nonspecific and variable clinical manifestations. It is rarely seen in current clinical practice and the diagnosis may be missed or confused with many other disorders such as Crohns disease and intestinal neoplasms. The route of infection by tuberculous enteritis is variable and the treatment regimens used for treating pulmonary tuberculosis are generally effective for tuberculous enteritis as well. Uncomplicated tuberculous enteritis can be managed with a nine to 12- month course of antituberculous chemotherapy. If not treated early, the prognosis for intestinal tuberculosis is poor, with an overall mortality of between 19 percent and 38 percent. However, 90 percent of patients will respond to medical therapy alone if started early. Therefore, early detection and treatment is essential. Here we report a case of intestinal tuberculosis secondary to miliary tuberculosis.
Crohn Disease ; Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy ; Enteritis ; Humans ; Intestinal Neoplasms ; Mortality ; Prognosis ; Tuberculosis* ; Tuberculosis, Miliary* ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary

BACKGROUND: This retrospective study tries to identify specific risk factors that may increase complication rates after the surgical treatment of tuberculous destroyed lung. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A retrospective study was performed on forty-seven patients, who received surgical treatment for tuberculous destroyed lung in the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery at Hanyang University Hospital from 1988 to 1998, to identify specific preoperative risk factors related to postoperative complications. Fisher's exact test was used to identify the correlations between the complications and right pneumonectomy, preoperative FEV1, predicted postoperative FEV1, massive hemoptysis, postoperative persistent empyema. RESULT: Hospital mortality and morbidity rates of the patients who received surgical treatment for tuberculous destroyed lung were 6.4% and 29.7%, respectively. In view of the hospital mortality and morbidity rates as a whole, predicted postoperative FEV1 less than 0.8L(p<0.005), preoperative FEV1 less than 1.8L(p=0.01), massive hemoptysis(p<0.005), postoperative persistent positive sputum cultures(p<0.0005), and the presence of multi drug resistant tuberculosis(p<0.05) presented statistically significant correlations. Among the postoperative complications, bronchopleural fistula, the most common complication, was found to have statistically significant corrleations with the preoperative empyema(p<0.05) and postoperative persistent positive sputum cultures(p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Although mortality and morbidity rates after surgical treatment of tuberculous destroyed lung were relatively low, when predicted postoperative FEV1 was less than 0.8L, when preoperative FEV1 was less than 1.8L, when massive hemoptysis was present, when postoperative sputum cultures were persistently positive, and when multi drug resistant tuberculosis was present, the rates were significantly higher.
Empyema ; Fistula ; Hemoptysis ; Hospital Mortality ; Humans ; Lung* ; Mortality* ; Pneumonectomy ; Postoperative Complications ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors* ; Sputum ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary

pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) with tuberculous meningoencephalitis (TM) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) co-infection in the intensive phase of treatment.METHODS: Fifty-four patients with TB/TM and HIV co-infection were enrolled for this study. Group 1 comprised of 23 patients treated with E and H intravenously, while rifampicin and pyrazinamide were prescribed orally. Group 2 consisted of 31 patients treated with the first-line anti-TB drugs orally. The concentrations of H and E in blood serum were detected using a chromatographic method.RESULTS: A significant improvement in the clinical symptoms and X-ray signs in patients treated intravenously with H and E was observed and compared to group 2. The sputum Mycobacterium tuberculosis positivity was observed during the second month of the treatment in 25.0% of patients from group 1 and 76.1% of the patients from the control group (p=0.003). In addition, nine patients (39.1%) died up to 6 months when H and E were prescribed intravenously compared with 22 (70.9%) in group 2 (p=0.023).CONCLUSION: In TB/TM with HIV, the intravenous H and E treatment was more effective than oral H and E treatment at 2 months of intensive treatment in sputum conversion as well as in clinical improvement, accompanied by significantly higher mean serum concentrations. In addition, the mortality rate was lower in intravenous H and E treatment compared to oral treatment.]]>
Coinfection ; Ethambutol ; HIV Infections ; HIV ; Humans ; Isoniazid ; Meningoencephalitis ; Methods ; Mortality ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; Pyrazinamide ; Rifampin ; Serum ; Sputum ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Meningeal ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary

Endobronchial tuberculosis is defined as a specific inflammation of the trachea or major bronchi caused by the tubercle bacillus. It is recognized as one of the most common and serious complication of pulmonary tuberculosis. A diagnosis of endobronchial tuberculosis is difficult due to the diversity of radiological patterns. But, it is still relatively common disease in korea. Endobronchial tuberculosis as a cause of the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is quite rare. The mortality rate of ARDS is still high in korea. The detection and early elimination of the causes for ARDS at the initial stage can result in a more favorable prognosis. So, patients with ARDS, especially due to endobronchial tuberculosis or other form of tuberculosis, should be treated with antituberculous drugs as soon as possible. We experienced a young female with complaints of sudden onset dyspnea, mild fever. In this case the clinical features, laboratory data and radiologic findings allowed an initial presentation of ARDS. The ARDS was defined by the American-Europian Consensus Conference 19921-3). The cause of ARDS was revealed endobronchial tuberculosis. We started antituberculosis medication and steroid injection quickly, which resulted in good prognosis. We emphasize the prognosis depends mainly on the early recognition and treatment of endobronchial tuberculosis.
Bacillus ; Bronchi ; Consensus ; Diagnosis ; Dyspnea ; Female ; Fever ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Korea ; Mortality ; Prognosis ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Adult* ; Trachea ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary

BACKGROUND: Surgery may have a role when medical treatment alone is not successful in patients with multi-drug resistant (MDR) pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). To document the role of resection in MDR PTB, we analyzed 4 years of our experience. METHODS: A retrospective review was performed on thirteen patients that underwent pulmonary resection for MDR PTB between May 1996 and February 2000. All patients had organisms resistant to many of the first-line drugs including isoniazid (INH) and rifampicin (RFP). RESULTS: The thirteen patients were 37.5±12.4 years old (mean±S.D.)(M:F=5:8), and their sputum was culture positive even with adequate medication for prolonged periods (109.7±132.0 months), resistant to 2-8 drugs including isoniazid and rifampin. All patients had localized lesion(s) and most (92.3%) had cavities. At least 3 sensitive anti-TB medications were started before surgery in all patients according to the drug sensitivity test. The preoperative FE1 was 2.37±0.83 L. Lobectomy was performed in 11 patients and pleuropneumonectomy in two. Postoperative mortality did not occur, but pneumonia occurred as a complication in one (7.7%). After 41.5±58.9 days (range 1~150 days) follow up, negative conversion of sputum culture was achieved in all patients within 5 months. Only one patient (7.7%) recurred 32 months after lung resection. CONCLUSION: When medical treatment alone is not successful, surgical resection can be a good treatment option in patients with localized MDR PTB.
Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Isoniazid ; Lung ; Mortality ; Pneumonia ; Retrospective Studies ; Rifampin ; Sputum ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary*

BACKGROUND: Community-acquired pneumonia(CAP) remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Recently, the evolution of drug-resistant microorganisms has become a serious problem in CAP management. Specific antimicrobial therapy is the cornerstone of CAP management. However, obtaining an accurate etiologic diagnosis clinically is not easy and empirical antimicrobial treatment is usually administered prior to the correct microbiologic diagnosis. In this study, the clinical usefulness of empirical CAP treatment was investigated. METHODS: A total 35 cases were studied prospectively over a 16-month period in Mokpo Catholic Hospital from Dec. 1995 to Mar. 1997. The microbiologic diagnosis was made by sputum, blood culture, a specific serum antibody test and an immunologic study. RESULTS: The causative organisms were isolated in 10 (30%) out of 33 cases: 8 cases and 1 case on the sputum culture and blood culture respectively, and 1 case by an indirect hemagglutinin test. 12 cases had underlying diseases: pulmonary tuberculosis 4, alcoholism 4, diabetes mellitus 3, and liver cirrhosis 1. Antimicrobial treatment was given empirically and all cases recovered. CONCLUSION: A definite microbiologic diagnosis before commencing the appropriate treatment in CAP is not straightforward. Empirical therapy according to a clinical assessment is important and helpful. However, every effort to make the correct etiologic diagnosis should be taken.
Alcoholism ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diagnosis ; Hemagglutinins ; Jeollanam-do* ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Mortality ; Pneumonia* ; Prospective Studies ; Sputum ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary

The incidence and prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) in South Korea remain high despite the fact that South Korea is a high-income country, and pulmonary TB is an important public health issue in terms of both morbidity and mortality. Thus, rapid diagnosis and management of active pulmonary TB are crucial for effective TB control, which can help to prevent the transmission of TB and the occurrence of new TB cases. However, because the clinical and radiological presentations of pulmonary TB may occasionally be nonspecific, identification of causative microorganisms using laboratory tests is the most important diagnostic method. Recently-developed microbiological and molecular techniques are commonly employed in current clinical practice. In particular, advances in liquid culture system, line probe assays, and Xpert MTB/RIF assay have reduced the identification time and facilitate the identification of drug-resistance TB. However, as various tests have both advantages and limitations, physicians should be aware of the principles underpinning the tests when interpreting the results. Thus, the clinical and radiological characteristics of pulmonary TB and several diagnostic laboratory tests that we describe below will aid physicians in diagnosing pulmonary TB efficiently.
Diagnosis ; Drug Resistance ; Incidence ; Korea ; Methods ; Mortality ; Prevalence ; Public Health ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary

Massive and untreated hemoptysis is associated with a >50% mortality rate. Since bleeding has a bronchial arterial origin in most patients, bronchial artery embolization (BAE) has become an accepted treatment in massive hemoptysis. The possibility of bleeding from pulmonary artery should be considered in patients in whom the bleeding focus cannot be found by Bronchial angiogram. Indeed, the bleeding occurs from a pulmonary artery in approximately 10% of patients with massive hemoptysis. The most common causes of bleeding from the pulmonary artery are pulmonary artery rupture associated with a Swan-Ganz catheter, infectious diseases and vasculitis. We report a rare case of a fistula between the right upper lobar pulmonary artery and the right upper lobar bronchus in a 71-year-old woman who presented with massive hemoptysis.
Aged ; Bronchi ; Bronchial Arteries ; Catheters ; Communicable Diseases ; Female ; Fistula* ; Hemoptysis* ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Mortality ; Pulmonary Artery ; Rupture ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary* ; Vasculitis

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary aspergilloma is a potential life-threatening disease resulting from massive hemoptysis. Pulmonary aspergilloma has been treated surgically for many years, however, it has also had higher risk of mortality and complication rate. The purpose of this study is to analyze the operative methods and the types of complications. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Sixty patients who underwent surgical resection for pulmonary their medical reconrds. RESULT: The mean age was 46.3+/-13.4 years(range 20 to 76 years). The most common clinical presentation was hemoptysis which occurred in 48 patients(80%). Pulmonary tuberculosis was the most common pre-existing disease, occurri9ng in 28 patients(46.7%). The other associated lung diseases were bronchiectasis(n=11), silicosis(n=2), and chronic pnumonia(n=1). Operative proceudres wer lobectomy in 35 patients, pneumonectomy in 6, segmentectomy in 5, lobectomy and thoracoplasty in 3, segmentectomy and thoracopasty in 1, and cavernostomy in 10. The operative mortality was 6%(n=3) in lung resection patients but 0% in cavernostomy patients. The most common complications were prolonged air leakage, wound infection and postoperative bleeding. CONCLUSIONS: In most cases of pulmonary aspergilloma surgical resectin remains the only effective therapy. However, cavernostomy may be more effective for pulmonary aspergilloma patients with decreased pulmonary functions and for patients with high risk for lung resection.
Hemoptysis ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Lung ; Lung Diseases ; Mastectomy, Segmental ; Mortality ; Pneumonectomy ; Preexisting Condition Coverage ; Pulmonary Aspergillosis ; Thoracoplasty ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary ; Wound Infection

China ; epidemiology ; Communicable Diseases ; epidemiology ; mortality ; Female ; Hepatitis, Viral, Human ; epidemiology ; mortality ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Rabies ; epidemiology ; mortality ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary ; epidemiology ; mortality