[A case of multidrug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis cured by the regimen including thiacetazone]

A 30 years-old-male was referred to our hospital for surgical treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in April 1998, three years after diagnosis of tuberculosis. All first-line anti-tuberculosis drugs and second-line anti-tuberculosis drugs were resistant on drug susceptibility tests by Ogawa medium. The right upper lobectomy was done because of massive hemoptysis and enlargement of cavitary lesion in June 1998, but this surgical operation was complicated with, bronchial fistula and chronic empyema. Open drainage surgical treatment for chronic empyema was done one month after lobectomy. Sputum culture for M. tuberculosis converted 4 months after the lobectomy, but bacteriological relapse occurred 17 months after initial operation. The new cavitary lesion on middle left lung field developed and sputum smear and culture were continuously positive. Immunotherapy with interferon-gamma via aerosol didn't show any clinical effect. Thiacetazone, sparfloxcin, pyrazinamide, cycloserine was prescribed after 21 months of the initial operation. Four months after changing the regimen sputum smear and culture converted to negative. Chemotherapy was terminated in June 2003, two years after negative conversion. Three years after the termination of treatment no relapse occurred. We considered thiacetazone was effective in this case, because all of the drugs was companied with thiacetazone were resistant by the drug susceptibility tests and were previously used.