Management of tuberculous empyema

In an attempt to establish a treatment protocol for tuberculous empyema, we retrospectively reviewed our experience over a 3-year period.

Between January 1996 and December 1998, 26 patients (23 male and three female) with an average age of 33.8 years (range 18-61 years) presented with tuberculous empyema. The empyema was right-sided in 13, left-sided in 12 and bilateral in one patient. Patients presented with respiratory symptoms for a mean duration of 4.43 months (range 1-48 months). All patients had a computerized scan of the chest and managed according to the stage of empyema.

In patients with exudative empyema (n=4) the fluid was aspirated, but one patient required intercostal tube (ICT) drainage for 6 days. There were four patients with fibrinopurulent empyema treated with thoracoscopic drainage with a mean post-operative stay of 8 days (range 4-12 days). In the organizing stage (n=18), initial drainage with large ICT was performed. The pleura was less than 2 cm in thickness in eight patients, for which repeated installation of streptokinase was performed (three to seven times). Satisfactory results were achieved in six patients (75%) and the remaining two required decortication. Of the ten patients with thick cortex, one required a window and nine had decortication, two of which had additional lobectomy and two had pneumonectomy. All patients fully recovered with no mortality and with a mean duration of drainage of 18 days (range 3-61 days).

Its stage and the state of the underlying lung should guide surgical treatment for tuberculous empyema. This protocol aims to achieve cure utilizing the least invasive approach and acceptable hospital stay.