[Treatment of pleural tuberculosis with a short 4-month regimen: preliminary results]

The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the results of a four-month regimen (2HRZ/2HR) in the treatment of isolated tuberculous pleurisy with effusion. It included 68 patients presenting with histologically confirmed tuberculous pleurisy treated with 2HRZ/2HR, physiotherapy and aspiration of the pleura. Patients were seen every 2 months during treatment, and then 1, 3, 4, 6, 12, and 24 months after the end of treatment. Preliminary results show a favourable response in 58 patients (85%) and minimal pleural thickening in 10 patients. There were no failures, no relapses nor any extrapleural dissemination after a follow-up period of on average 20 months. These encouraging results need to be evaluated in a long-term study.