ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Treatment outcome with only chemotherapy for multi-drug resistant tuberculosis is usually considered not to be satisfactory. However, the combined therapy of chemotherapy with surgical treatment has been producing higher sputum AFB negative conversion and longer survival rates, and this treatment strategy is expected to be a set-up for the patients with multi-drug resistant tuberculosis. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A retrospective review was performed with the medical records and laboratory findings in 49 patients with multi-drug resistant tuberculosis of 130 patients who underwent pulmonary resection for pulmonary tuberculosis between January 1995 and December 1999 at National Masan Tuberculosis Hospital. RESULT: A mean number of the resistant drugs was 4.5 with a mean age of 35 years. Cavitary lesions on plain chest x-ray were shown in 43 patients of 49(87.8%). Thirty one had positive sputum cultures preoperatively(63.3%). Operative techniques were as follows; 12 pneumonectomies, 28 lobectomies, 7 lobectomies with segmentectomies or wedge resections, one wedge resection and a cavernoplasty. Sputum AFB negative conversion rate was 93.5 % with continuous postoperative chemotherapy. There was no death after operation. Air leakage over a week, postoperative bleeding and wound disruption were developed as postoperative complications. CONCLUSION: We experienced the higher effectiveness of postoperative chemotherapy with pulmonary resection on multi-drug resistant tuberculosis. Although there are several different ideas about operative indications, postoperative drug regimens and length of postoperative medications, pulmonary resection should be considered actively as a effective combination measure with chemotherapy to give a treatment for multi-drug resistant pulmonary tuberculosis.