TUBERCULOUS PLEURAL EFFUSION:CLINICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF 54 CASES / 解放军医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Clinical manifestations thoracoscopy findings,and pathological findings of 54 patients with tuberculous pleural effusion were reported.The gross appearance of pleural lesions under direct vision with thoracoscope can be divided into three types:(A) tuberculous nodules in 34 cases,all of them were proved by pathological examination;(B) Inflammatory reaction type in 14 cases,in whom rate of positive pathology was 78.5% (11/14);(C) pleural hyperplasia and adhesion type in 6 cases,and rate for positive pathology was 66.7% (4/6).Of these 54 patients,the overall rate for positive pathoiogy was 00.75% (49/54).The diagnosis and pathogenesis of tuberculous effusion were discussed.The presence of characteristic tuberculous nodules on the pleura with specific pathological finbings suggets that direct invasion of pleura by tubercle bacilli may play a more important role than pleural allergic reaction in the pathogenesis of tuberculous pleural effusion.