Clinical analysis of 98 cases with endobronchial tuberculosis

Objective To explore the clinical features of endobronchial tuberculosis and the way of confirming the disease. Methods The clinical symptoms and fiberoptic bronchoscopic finding of 98 cases with endobronchial tuberculosis were analyzed. Results Main symptoms were as follows: cough expectoration with sputum, blood-stained sputum, breathlessness, chestache, and fever. Staining for acid-fast bacilli was 85.71% positive in bronchial washings and the diagnosis was confirmed by bronchoscopic biopsy specimens in 69.23%. The bronchoscopic results showed exduative lesions in 41.84% of the cases, ulcerative lesions in 22.45%, granulomatous in 11.23% and cicatricial lesions in 24.49%. Conclusion Bronchoscopic should be performed when there were clinical manifestations of endobronchial tuberculosis, but no typical chest X-ray features. When endobronchial tuberculosis could not be confirmed by pathology and bacteriology, anti-tuberculosis treatment should be repeatedly given until the diagnosis was confirmed by the follow-up observation.