Pulmonary Resection in the Treatment of Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis: A Retrospective Study of 56 Cases

Background Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) has become a challenge to TB control, and surgical resection is regaining its status as an integral component of multimodal treatment. We evaluated the efficacy and risks of pulmonary resection in the treatment of MDR-TB. Methods A retrospective review was performed of 56 patients who had undergone pulmonary resection for MDR-TB from January 1995 to July 2006. Preoperative diagnoses included cavitation in 25 patients, lung destruction in 17, endobronchial TBs in 10, and tuberculoma in 4. Results Mycobacterium tuberculosis resistant to both isoniazid and rifampin was isolated from the sputum of all patients preoperatively but in only 5 patients postoperatively. Pneumonectomy was performed on 25 patients and lobectomy on 31. No patients died perioperatively, but major complications occurred in 14 patients, with a morbidity of 25%. Complications included reoperation due to uncontrollable postoperative bleeding in 1 patient, chylothorax in 1, wound infection in 1, bronchopleural fistula in 9, and chronic tuberculous empyema in 2. Analysis of variance showed that lung function was significantly correlated with the type of preoperative diagnosis. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that endobronchial TB significantly contributed to the development of bronchopleural fistula, and bronchial stump reinforcement could prevent its occurrence. Conclusions Pulmonary resection plays an important role in the treatment of MDR-TB. Endobronchial TB is a significant risk factor for developing bronchopleural fistula, but bronchial stump reinforcement can effectively prevent its occurrence.