BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Hepatobiliarypancreatic tuberculosis (HBPTB) is a less common form of tuberculosis that often presents as malignancy or lithiasis. Advances in diagnostics and minimally invasive procedures have led to the detection of more patients with milder forms of TB requiring surgical management. Due to the low incidence rates and lack of standardized approaches, additional studies are needed to improve patient outcomes. This study examined the risk factors, diagnostic methods, and treatments for HBPTB patients at the University of the Philippines – Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH) from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2021.

This retrospective descriptive study utilized our institutional database to identify patients who underwent a surgical procedure for HBPTB and their associated risk factors. Inclusion criteria required biopsy or microbiologic proof of tuberculous involvement of the biliary tract or nearby structures.

Among a total of 45 patients, the most common admitting diagnosis were HBP tuberculosis (37.8%) and malignancy (35.6%). 47.6% of patients had a previous or concurrent TB exposure. Sixty percent had subclinical malnutrition indicated by normal weight and low albumin. The liver (37.8%) and the bile ducts (33.3%) were the most common organs involved. The most common surgical procedures done were ultrasound-guided liver biopsy, biliary enteric anastomosis, percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD), and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography with or without stenting (ERCP).

This study provides additional data for clinicians to tailor diagnostic and treatment plans accordingly. Striking a balance between surgical procedures and appropriate anti-tuberculous therapy (ATT) is essential for successful treatment. Local data can be useful to help identify tuberculosis patterns unique to Filipinos and highlight socio-economic factors contributing to this rare presentation of TB.

Objective: To examine the safety and efficacy of the uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic decortication in treatment of drug-resistant tuberculosis empyema. Methods: From January 2018 to December 2020, 122 cases of tuberculous empyema treated by decortication in Department of Surgery, Wuhan Pulmonary Hospital were retrospectively analyzed, including 100 males and 22 females, aged(M(IQR)) 29.5(28.0) years (range: 13 to 70 years). According to the surgical approach and drug resistance, patients with drug-resistant tuberculosis who underwent uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic decortication were included in group A (n=22), and those who underwent thoracotomy decortication were included in group B (n=28). Drug-sensitive patients who underwent uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic decortication were included in group C (n=72). There was no statistical difference in the baseline data of the three groups (P>0.05). The operation, early postoperative recovery, and prognosis-related indicators were compared among three groups by Kruskal-Wallis test and χ² test by Mann-Whitney U test and Bonferroni method between groups A and B, groups A and C. Results: The intraoperative blood loss of group A, group B, and group C was 200(475) ml, 300(200) ml, and 225(300) ml, respectively. There was no significant difference in intraoperative hemorrhage (H=2.74, P=0.254) and treatment outcome (χ²=4.76, P=0.575) among the three groups. Compared with group B, the operation time of group A (302.5(187.5) minutes vs. 200.0(60.0) minutes, U=171.0, P=0.007) and postoperative pulmonary reexpansion duration (4.5(3.0) months vs. 3.0 (2.2) months, U=146.5, P=0.032) were longer, and the postoperative drainage duration (9.5(7.8) days vs. 13.0(10.0) days, U=410.0, P=0.044), and the postoperative hospitalization time (12.0(7.8) days vs. 14.5(4.8) days, U=462.2, P=0.020) were shorter. There was no significant difference in complications between group A and group B (63.6%(14/22) vs. 71.4%(20/28), χ²=0.34, P=0.558). Compared with group C, the postoperative drainage duration of group A (9.5(7.8) days vs. 7.0(4.0) days, U=543.5, P=0.031), the postoperative hospitalization time (12.0(7.8) days vs. 9.0(4.0) days, U=533.0, P=0.031) and postoperative pulmonary reexpansion duration (4.5(3.0) months vs. 3.0(2.0) months, U=961.5, P=0.001) were longer. The operation time (302.5(187.5) minutes vs. 242.5(188.8) minutes, U=670.5, P=0.278), and complications (63.6%(14/22) vs. 40.3%(29/72), χ²=3.70, P=0.054) were not different between group A and group C. Conclusions: For drug-resistant tuberculous empyema, the uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic decortication can achieve the same good therapeutic effect as drug-sensitive tuberculous empyema, and it is as safe as thoracotomy. At the same time, it has the advantage of minimally invasive and can accelerate the early postoperative recovery of patients.
Female ; Male ; Humans ; Empyema, Tuberculous/surgery* ; Retrospective Studies ; Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted ; Drainage ; Blood Loss, Surgical ; Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant/surgery*

Objective: To examine the feasibility and technical considerations of thorough debridement using uniportal thoracoscopic surgery for tuberculous empyema complicated by chest wall tuberculosis. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 38 patients who underwent comprehensive uniportal thoracoscopy debridement for empyema complicated by chest wall tuberculosis in the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, from March 2019 to August 2021. There were 23 males and 15 females, aged (M(IQR)) 30 (25) years (range: 18 to 78 years). The patients were cleared of chest wall tuberculosis under general anesthesia and underwent an incision through the intercostal sinus, followed by the whole fiberboard decortication method. Chest tube drainage was used for pleural cavity disease and negative pressure drainage for chest wall tuberculosis with SB tube, and without muscle flap filling and pressure bandaging. If there was no air leakage, the chest tube was removed first, followed by the removal of the SB tube after 2 to 7 days if there was no obvious residual cavity on the CT scan. The patients were followed up in outpatient clinics and by telephone until October 2022. Results: The operation time was 2.0 (1.5) h (range: 1 to 5 h), and blood loss during the operation was 100 (175) ml (range: 100 to 1 200 ml). The most common postoperative complication was prolonged air leak, with an incidence rate of 81.6% (31/38). The postoperative drainage time of the chest tube was 14 (12) days (range: 2 to 31 days) and the postoperative drainage time of the SB tube was 21 (14) days (range: 4 to 40 days). The follow-up time was 25 (11) months (range: 13 to 42 months). All patients had primary healing of their incisions and there was no tuberculosis recurrence during the follow-up period. Conclusion: Uniportal thoracoscopic thorough debridement combined with postoperative standardized antituberculosis treatment is safe and feasible for the treatment of tuberculous empyema with chest wall tuberculosis, which could achieve a good long-term recovery effect.
Male ; Female ; Humans ; Abscess/complications* ; Empyema, Pleural/etiology* ; Empyema, Tuberculous/complications* ; Retrospective Studies ; Thoracic Wall ; Debridement/adverse effects* ; China ; Chest Tubes/adverse effects* ; Tuberculosis/complications* ; Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted ; Drainage

OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical effects of three different methods of binding multi-fold rib graft, iliac bone graft and titanium mesh graft in tuberculosis of thoracic vertebra by approach of transverse rib process. METHODS: A hundred and seven patients with tuberculosis of thoracic vertebra received surgical treatment from January 2010 to December 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into three groups according different methods of bone graft. The surgical approach of the transverse rib process was used in all 107 patients, after thoroughly remove the necrotic tissue of tuberculosis, three different bone grafts were used respectively including iliac bone graft (36 cases, group A), binding multi-fold rib graft (35 cases, group B), titanium mesh bone graft (36 cases, group C). Perioperative indexes, the time required for bone graft during operation, intraoperation blood loss, the loss rate of the anterior edge of the lesion, Cobb angle, postoperative bone graft fusion time, spinal nerve recovery and Oswestry Disability Index were compared among three groups. RESULTS: All the patients were followed up for 13 to 24 months, and the operation time required for bone graft was (23.2±4.1) min in group A, (23.8± 4.4)min in group B, and (25.5±4.2) min in group C, with no statistically significant difference among three groups ( CONCLUSION The approach of transverse rib process for debridement of lesions can effectively treat tuberculosis of thoracic vertebra by binding multi-fold rib graft, iliac bone graft and titanium mesh graft, but binding multi-fold rib graft can effectively avoid iliac bone donor complications, and is an effective alternative to iliac bone graft, which is worth popularizing.
Bone Transplantation ; Humans ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; Retrospective Studies ; Ribs/surgery* ; Spinal Fusion ; Surgical Mesh ; Thoracic Vertebrae/surgery* ; Titanium ; Treatment Outcome ; Tuberculosis, Spinal/surgery*

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical efficacy and superiority of direct lateral interbody fusion combined with posterior percutaneous screw fixation in the treatment of lumbar tuberculosis. METHODS: From June 2013 to August 2016, the clinical data of 83 patients with lumbar tuberculosis were retrospectively analyzed, including 55 males and 28 females, aged from 27 to 72 (49.5±13.5) years. These 83 patients were divided into two groups according to different operation methods, 35 cases in group A were treated with direct lateral interbody fusion combined with posterior percutaneous screw fixation;48 cases in group B were treated with anterior traditional extraperitoneal debridement combined with posterior internal fixation. After operation, regular quadruple antituberculosis drugs were continued for 18 months. The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, hospital stay, bone graft fusion time and complications were compared between the two groups. Visual analogue score (VAS) of lumbar pain, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), sagittal Cobb angle, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein(CRP) values before and after operation were analyzed. RESULTS: The operation was successfully completed in both groups, and the operation mode was not changed during operation. The operation time, intraoperative blood loss and hospital stay were (149.4±13.3) min, (354.3±69.0) ml, (9.4±1.6) d in group A and(116.8±10.0) min, (721.9±172.3) ml, (11.8±1.7) d in group B, respectively, with significant difference between the two groups ( CONCLUSION The two kinds of operation can obtain satisfactory clinical effect. Direct lateral interbody fusion combined with posterior percutaneous screw fixation can reduce intraoperative blood loss and hospital stay, which is conducive to early rehabilitation of patients.
Aged ; Bone Transplantation ; Debridement ; Female ; Humans ; Lumbar Vertebrae/surgery* ; Male ; Pedicle Screws ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Fusion ; Thoracic Vertebrae ; Treatment Outcome ; Tuberculosis, Spinal/surgery*

OBJECTIVE: To observe the changes of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP) and nerve function in patients with spinal tuberculosis before and after surgery, explore the timing of surgical intervention, and evaluate its influence on surgical safety. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 387 patients with spinal tuberculosis who received surgical treatment from March 2012 to March 2017, including 278 males and 109 females, aged 12 to 86 years old with an average of (49.9±19.1) years. There were 64 cases of cervical tuberculosis, 86 cases of thoracic tuberculosis, 76 cases of thoracolumbar tuberculosis and 161 cases of lumbar tuberculosis. There were 297 patients with single segmental involvementand 90 patients with multiple segmental involvement. Among them, 62 cases presented neurological damage, and preoperative spinal cord neurological function depended on ASIA grade, 5 cases of grade A, 8 cases of grade B, 39 cases of grade C, and 10 cases of grade D. According to the duration of preoperative antituberculosis treatment, the patients were divided into group A (256 cases, receiving conventional quadruple antituberculosis treatment for 2-4 weeks before surgery) and group B (131 cases, receiving conventional quadruple antituberculosis treatment for more than 4 weeks before surgery). The two groups were compared in terms of gender, age, preoperative complicated pulmonary tuberculosis, lesion site, lesion scope, surgical approach, drug resistance and other general clinical characteristics. ESR, CRP, visual analogue scale(VAS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Frankel grade and postoperative complications were observed. RESULTS: All 387 patients were followed up for 12 to 36 (18.3±4.5) months. There were no significant differences in gender, age, preoperative pulmonary tuberculosis, lesion site, lesion range, surgical approach, preoperative drug resistance and other characteristics between two groups. A total of 32 patients in two groups did not heal after surgery, with an incidence rate of 8.27%. The VAS and spinal cord dysfunction index of the two groups were significantly improved after surgery ( CONCLUSION After 2-4 weeks of anti tuberculosis treatment before operation, patients with spinal tuberculosis could be operated upon with ESR and CRP in a descending or stable period. In principle, patients with spinal tuberculosis and paraplegia should be treated as soon as possible after active preoperative management of the complication without emergency surgery.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Blood Sedimentation ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Fusion ; Thoracic Vertebrae ; Tuberculosis, Spinal/surgery* ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVE: To compare clinical effect of movable external fixation and fusion fixation for the treatment of elbow tuberculosis. METHODS: From October 2013 to June 2019, 52 patients with elbow tuberculosis treated with standard antituberculosis therapy were divided into movable external fixation group and fusion fixation group according to treatment methods. In group A, there were 25 patients, including 11 males and 14 females, aged from 24 to 75 years old with an average of (42.81± 9.01) years old; the courses of diseases ranged from 2 to 9 months with an average of (3.96±1.45) months. In group B, there were 27 patients, including 15 males and 12 females, aged from 23 to 77 years old with an averageof (44.08±7.44) years old; the courses of diseases ranged from 2 to 7 months with an average of (3.88±1.67) months. All patients were performed focus debridement. Intraoperative blood loss, operative time were compared between two groups. VAS score before operation, 2 weeks and 12 months after operation were applied to evaluate pain relieve;Mayo elbow performance score (MEPS) before operation, 1 and 12 months after operation were used to evaluate clinical effect;changes of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and Creactive protein, CRP) before operation, 3 weeks after antituberculosis therapy, 1 week and 6 months after operation were compared between two groups. RESULTS: All patients were followed up from 12 to 20 months with an average of (13.50±4.85) months. No mixed infection and recurrence of tuberculosis occurred. There were no statistical differences in intraoperative blood loss and operative time( CONCLUSION For elbow tuberculosis, movable external fixation and fusion fixation have equal effect in operative time, amount of bleeding and control of tuberculosis infection indicator. Movable external fixation need earlier functional exercise, not conducive to pain relief at early stage, which may be better than fusion fixation, it is worth clinical promoting.
Elbow ; Elbow Joint/surgery* ; External Fixators ; Female ; Fracture Fixation ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Treatment Outcome ; Tuberculosis/surgery*

Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; Humans ; Time Factors ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary ; drug therapy ; epidemiology ; surgery

BACKGROUND: Bronchial tuberculosis is a common complication of pulmonary tuberculosis. The present report is to investigate and analyze the indication and efficacy of surgical treatment of bronchial stricture due to severe endobronchial tuberculosis, when the drug and endoscopic treatment were no effect. METHODS: Reviewed the clinical-pathological records documenting the surgical outcomes in 36 bronchial stricture due to severe endobronchial tuberculosis who underwent lobectomy or pneumonectomy enrolled in our hospital between January 2000 and February 2016. Pneumonectomy in 8 cases, lobectomy in 23 cases, sleeve resection in 5 cases. RESULTS: No intraoperative or early postoperative death occurred. Six patients developed complications. All 6 cases recovered well after treatment. CONCLUSIONS Surgical treatment is still the recommended treatment modatity for bronchial stricture caused by endobronchial tuberculosis due to its good results. It should be performed in time when the drug and intraluninal treatment were no effect for avoiding of being progeressed.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Bronchi ; surgery ; Bronchoscopy ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pneumonectomy ; Retrospective Studies ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary ; surgery ; Young Adult

Brain ; blood supply ; pathology ; surgery ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Pituitary Neoplasms ; cerebrospinal fluid ; complications ; diagnosis ; Stroke ; cerebrospinal fluid ; complications ; diagnosis ; Tuberculosis ; cerebrospinal fluid ; complications ; diagnosis