ABSTRACT
To define the prevalence of anthracofibrosis in fibreoptic bronchoscopy of highly suspected patients who were likely to have pulmonary tuberculosis but they had three times negative sputum exams for acid-fast bacilli and to determine the association of anthracofibrosis with tuberculosis and prolonged smoke exposure. The fibreoptic bronchoscopy was done in 207 patients; 106 male and 101 female their age was from 15 to 91 years and most of them were referred by the professors of infectious diseases. Exact medical history was taken and specially focused on the past medical history of tuberculosis and chronic exposure to any kind of smoke. Then they were divided into two groups, with or without anthracofibrosis, and then this data was analyzed among the two groups. Anthracofibrosis was diagnosed in 34 cases [19 female, 15 male]. Past medical history of pulmonary tuberculosis was positive in 45 patients [26 males and 19 females] and Seventy one patients [38 female, 33 male] had positive history of prolonged exposure to smoke but, the most common cause of smoke exposure in females was the cooking of bread in the traditional clay oven [92 percent] and smoking in males [96 percent]. The finding of this study suggests that the incidence of active or old tuberculous infection was significantly higher in anthracofibrosis group in males as well as females. Although prolonged smoke exposure was significantly higher in anthracofibrosis group but, this relationship was just true in females