Abstract:

Although pleuritis can occur at any time after infection with M.tuberculosis, it is classically considered a relatively late manifestation of primary tuberculosis. In this study 95 cases with tuberculous pleurisy were determined clinical, radiological and laboratory features retrospectively in SSK Süreyyapaşa Center for Chest Disease and thoracic surgery between 2001 and 2004 38 (40 %) patients were female, 57 (60 %) were male. Agerange was between 15 and 79 years, the mean age of the patients was 32.98±14.09. The effusion on the right side was in 55 % (53.7) of patients, on the left side in 39 (41.1 %) of patients, and on both sides in 5 (5.3 %) of patients. The commonest symptom was chest pain, the least symptom was sputum. Parenchymal lesion was found 37 (39.9 %) by chest radiograph and cavity was found three of these patients. Tuberculous pleurisy was diagnosed in 50.5 % (n=48) cases by pleural biopsy, in 3.2 % (n=3) cases positive smear of sputum and exudative effusions, in 4.2 % (n=4) cases by positive smear of effusion and in 42.1 % (n=40) cases clinic and radiological. As a conclusion, tuberculous pleurisy was seen in young patients in our country and pleural biopsy was the most effective method for the diagnosis. On the other hand, for the patients not diagnosed by the pleural biopsy, the presence of lymphocytic predominance, ADA levels and positive smear of sputum are significant parameters for the diagnosis of the tuberculous pleurisy.

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