[Evaluation of functional repercussions of pulmonary tuberculosis sequelae. Apropos of 112 cases]

In a retrospective study of 112 observations, the authors studied the sequelae on respiratory function in pulmonary tuberculosis bacteriologically cured. With the help of a standardized clinical enquiry they defined three groups of patients: groupe I, 31 patients with parenchymatous sequelae but free of bronchopathy and parietal sequelae; groupe II, 45 patients presenting besides parenchymatous sequelae signs of chronic bronchopathy; group III, 36 patients with parietal sequelae. Complementary examinations confirmed the frequency and degree of functional respiratory alterations: --ventilatory handicap in 87% of cases; --scintigraphic lacunae much wider than the radiological images, in more than half of the cases; --hematosis disorders in 65% of the 73 patients tested; --pulmonary arterial hypertension, at least in effort, in 62% of the 58 patients examined by microcatheter. The study by groups showed the particular severeness of an association of tuberculosis sequelae with chronic bronchitis. The existence of parietal sequelae is an additional feature of severeness. The presence of functional deficiences, all the more serious that they are evaluated late; suggests a progressive worsening of these patients' respiratory condition.