Clinical experience with short-course chemotherapy in patients with tubercular pleural effusion and lymphadenitis

Twenty-one patients with pleural effusion and 27 patients with lymphadenitis, both tubercular in origin, were administered isoniazid, rifampicin and ethambutol in a daily single dose for 9 months. 100% response was seen in patients with pleural effusion. In the case of tuberculous lymphadenitis the therapeutic response was unsatisfactory, and complete resolution of lymph nodes was achieved in 16 out of 27 patients only (59%). Drug treatment had to be extended for another 3 months which gave 89% response. In view of our present findings, short-course chemotherapy appears not to be the ideal mode of treatment for tuberculous lymphadenitis. There were no side effects from drug therapy in either group of patients.