RESUMEN
PURPOSE: An anthracofibrosis(AF), dark multiple anthracotic pigmentations combined with narrowing and obstruction of bronchi, was reported to be strongly related with past and active pulmonary tuberculosis. This study was performed to determine whether anti-tuberculous regiemens would be helpful in patients with anthracofibrosis who failed to demonstrate the evidences of pulmonary tuberculosis. METHODS: Twenty-two patients with multiple anthracotic pigmentations in bronchia mucosa with luminal narrowing were enrolled in this study. The bacteriological and histological findings for Mycobacterium tuberculosis was reviwed in each patients. They are composed of 8 males and 14 females ranging from 55 to 85 years old in age. RESULTS: The most common symptoms were coughing(73%, 16/22), followed by sputum(41%, 9/22), dyspnea on exertion (32%, 7/22), and hemoptysis(27%, 6/22). The evidence of pulmonary tuberculosis, defined by positive AFB smear or culture of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from sputum or bronchial washing fluid or histological findings of granuloma with caseous necrosis, were found in eleven patients(50%) and the others has showed no evidences. Among 11 patients without pulmonary tuberculosis, only one patient showed the evidences of pulmonary tuberculosis after 16 months, and the 8 patients still showed no evidence of pulmonary tuberculosis during follow-up periods of ranging from 8 months to 60 months. CONCLUSION: Beause the authracofibrosis is closely related to tuberculosis, it needs to find out extensively the evidences of tuberculosis in patient with authracofibrosis. Chemotherapy for tuberculosis should be administrated only with confirmation of tuberculosis on bacteriologic study.