Clinical characteristics of patients with tuberculosis-destroyed lung

SETTING: Multicentre study. OBJECTIVE: To define the clinical characteristics of patients with tuberculosis (TB) destroyed lung due to past TB. DESIGN: We reviewed patients with TB-destroyed lung between May 2005 and June 2011. RESULTS: A total of 595 patients from 21 hospitals were enrolled. The mean age was 65.63 ± 0.47 (mean ± standard error); 60.5% were male. The mean number of lobes involved was 2.59 ± 0.05. Pleural thickening was observed in 54.1% of the patients. Mean forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV₁), FEV₁/FVC, bronchodilator response and number of exacerbations per year were respectively 2.06 ± 0.03 l (61.26% ± 0.79), 1.16 ± 0.02 l (49.05% ± 0.84), 58.03% ± 0.70, 5.70% ± 0.34, and 0.40 ± 0.04. The number of lobes involved was significantly correlated with FVC and FEV₁, and with the number of exacerbations per year. Use of long-acting muscarinic antagonists or long-acting beta-2 agonists plus inhaled corticosteroids resulted in bronchodilatory effects. Multivariable regression analysis showed that age, initial FEV₁ (%) and number of exacerbations during follow-up were independent factors affecting change in FEV₁. CONCLUSION: Decreased lung function with exacerbation, and progressive decline of FEV₁ were observed in patients with TB-destroyed lung.