Artigo Revisado por pares

Pleural tuberculosis: diagnostic approach

2019; Elsevier BV; Linguagem: Inglês

10.1183/13993003.congress-2019.pa4646

ISSN

1873-281X

Autores

A. Ben Tkhayat, H. Smadhi, H. Rejeb, Héla Kammoun, I. Akrout, D. Greb, Hajer Ben Abdelghaffar, H. Hassen, L. Fekih, M.L. Megdiche,

Tópico(s)

Lung Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment

Resumo

Introduction: In Tunisia, tuberculosis typically represents the most frequent cause of exudative pleural effusion with clear fluid. Different tools are used in the diagnosis of tuberculous pleurisy. Aim: to determine the diagnostic approach of the pleural tuberculosis. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted in the IBN NAFISS pneumo-allergology department at the Abderrahmane Mami Hospital in Ariana, Tunisia, involving 95 cases of pleural tuberculosis collected over a nine-year period from October 2009 to January 2019. Results: The mean age of our patients was 38 years. The study population was predominantly male (55%). Two patients had a history of tuberculosis. A tuberculous contagion was revealed in 17 cases (18%). The onset of symptomatology was progressive in 74% of cases. The patients presented chest pain in 84 cases (88%), fever in 62 cases (65%) and weight loss in 58 cases (61%). An associated pulmonary tuberculosis was revealed in 18 patients (19%). The diagnosis of tuberculous pleurisy was established after microscopy for acid fast bacilli (AFB) in sputum in 14 cases (15%), microscopy for AFB in pleural fluid in 4 cases (4%), Abrams pleural needle biopsy in 63 cases (66%) and thoracoscopic pleural biopsy in 4 cases (4%). Eight patients were treated for pleural tuberculosis considering the symptoms and a positive tuberculin skin test. The tuberculin skin test was positive in 65% of cases. The Abrams pleural needle biopsy was performed in 76 patients (80%) with a profitability of 83%. Conclusion: The Abrams pleural needle biopsy, a simple method that does not require general anesthesia, represent a key-step in the etiological diagnosis of exudative pleurisy with clear fluid and especially tuberculous pleurisy with a good efficiency.

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