Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in treated pulmonary tuberculous patients

Abstract

Background/Aim To detect the prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as a sequel of treated pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). Materials and methods A total of 50 adults, 28 men and 22 women, with a definite diagnosis of PTB and complete antituberculous therapy, with subsequent presentation of exertional dyspnea and/or cough, and expectorations for which no other alternative cause was found, were included in our study. All the patients underwent full history taking, full clinical examination, chest radiography, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, prebronchodilator and postbronchodilator forced vital capacity (FVC%), and forced expiratory volume (FEV 1 %) in the first second of FEV 1 /FVC%. Results Pulmonary function testing showed 22 patients (44%) with irreversible obstructive pattern denoting chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), seven patients had restrictive ventilatory defect, and three patients had mixed obstructive and restrictive pattern. Of those 22 patients with irreversible obstructive pattern (COPD), 11 patients (50%) had mild obstruction, nine patients (40.9%) had moderate obstruction, and two patients (9.1%) had severe obstruction. There is a positive correlation between dyspnea and post-tuberculous COPD patients, and a negative correlation between cough and post-tuberculous COPD patients. There is no correlation between the duration since the completion of antituberculous therapy and development of COPD. Conclusion COPD can be a sequel of PTB and should be overlooked, especially in those patients complaining of dyspnea even in the absence of any history of smoking. Post-tuberculous COPD as a cause of COPD in nonsmokers should be now more recognized in countries where the prevalence of PTB is still high.