A prospective study of bronchoscopy for endotracheobronchial tuberculosis

To clarify the role of bronchoscopy for endotracheobronchial tuberculosis (EBTB), we performed a prospective study in 45 patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis, in 15 (33%) of whom bronchoscopic findings related to EBTB were seen. The findings were classified into six types:edematous hyperemic, submucosal nodule, ulcerative (shallow and deep), polypoid, cicatrical, and compression type. Each of these types was related to the healing process and outcome after antituberculosis chemotherapy. Serial bronchoscopy revealed that lesions less advanced than the deep ulcerative type responded to chemotherapy; the deep ulcerative and polypoid types progressed to cicatrical bronchostenosis despite chemotherapy. In the follow-up of patients with lesions of the deep ulcerative and polypoid types, serial bronchoscopy after chemotherapy is recommended; these patients also require adjunctive therapy to prevent cicatrical bronchostenosis.