The Role of Thoracic Surgery in Diagnosis and Treatment of Tuberculosis

Objective: Tuberculosis is a health problem and is currently important worldwide. In this study, diagnostic and therapeutic invasive procedures were retrospectively analyzed in patients who had undiagnosed thoracic tuberculosis. Material and Methods: One hundred fifty-two patients with thoracic tuberculosis diagnosed via flexible bronchocopy, mediastinoscopy, explorative thoracotomy, chest wall resection and lymph node excision in our Thoracic Surgery Department between the years 1992 and 2008 were evaluated retrospectively. The diagnoses were proven by histopathological examinations. Results: Seventeen patients (11%) were females and 135 patients (%89) were males. The mean age was 27.1 +/- 11.34 (18-71) years. The main complaints were cough (30%), dyspnea (29%) and chest pain (26%). Twenty three patients (15.1%) were asymptomatic. Wedge resection (37.5%), decortication (27.6%), mediastinoscopic lymph node sampling (17.1%), lobectomy (4.6%), chest wall resection (2%) and various other operations were performed. Postoperative complications were observed in a total of six (4%) patients, and there was no mortality. The hospital stay was 8.4 +/- 4.28 (2-25) days. Conclusion: Tuberculosis is endemic in our country and it can mimic diseases such as lung cancer, hydatic cyst, pneumonia, lymphoma and sarcoidosis, and thus must be considered in the differential diagnosis of these diseases. Diagnostic surgical procedures can be used safely with acceptable morbidity and mortality in patients who had undiagnosed thoracic tuberculosis.