[Clinical analysis of treating 174 cases with pulmonary tuberculosis by pneumonectomy].

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and indication of pneumonectomy in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis.

Methods: From January 1992 to the end of 2008, 174 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis underwent pneumonectomy. According to the classification of pulmonary tuberculosis, there were tuberculous destroyed lungs (n = 106), chronic fibro-cavernous pulmonary tuberculosis (n = 27), cavernous pulmonary tuberculosis with aspergilloma (n = 5), tuberculous tracheobronchial stenosis (n = 16), pulmonary tuberculosis with encapsulated empyema (n = 5), tuberculous empyema with broncho pleural fistula (n = 4) and massive hemoptysis (n = 11).

Results: The surgical approaches were pneumonectomy (n = 146), pleuropneumonectomy (n = 21), chlorine pneumonectomy (n = 3), pneumonectomy with thoracoplasty (n = 1) and pneumonectomy with tracheoplasty (n = 3). The overall clinical cure rate was 93.0%, the rate of complications 11.5% and the operative mortality 2.3%. There were 3 dead cases resulting from operations in six months.

Conclusion: Tuberculosis chemotherapy is an important modality for pulmonary tuberculosis, but surgical therapy remains essential for some patients. Pneumonectomy may increase the cure rates of severe pulmonary and multiple drug resistant tuberculosis.