[The destroyed lung. Apropos of 46 surgical patients]

The authors report the results of a retrospective study of 46 patients operated upon for lung destruction of various origins. The main points that emerged were: (1) this type of pathology is regressing in France but persists in North Africa and Black Africa; (2) tuberculosis is the predominant cause of lung destruction; (3) superinfection with aspergillosis is frequent and must always be looked for; (4) surgery is difficult, especially pleuropneumonectomy for tuberculosis or its sequelae which has numerous complications (e.g. haemorrhage and pyothorax) responsible for a high mortality rate in this and other published series. However, in all patients operated upon for complications of lung destruction, when cure was obtained it was complete and permanent.