[Tuberculosis in a thoracic surgery patient sample today]

Between 1977-1988 89 patients had an operation on tuberculosis in our thoracic surgical department. It were 11 preoperatively diagnosed and 76 undiagnosed cases of tuberculosis and 2 infections with nontuberculosis mycobacteria. In cases, where tuberculosis was diagnosed, surgical therapy was only used because of uneffective antituberculotic therapy. Surgical operations are always applied as secondary late measures. We have manly employed limited resections saving parenchyma. The frequency of postoperative complications was 11.2%. An adequate postoperative chemotherapy is obligatory.