[Current indications for resection of tuberculoid lung changes--relics of the pre-chemotherapy era?]

The spectrum of indications for elective resection of pulmonary tuberculosis was considerably reduced by clinical evaluation of the effective antituberculous chemotherapy and is limited only to a few pathomorphological processes and clinical situations today. The same estimation is valid in case of nontuberculous mycobacteriosis with clinical importance. The combined therapy with new macrolid antibiotics, quinoloses and Rifampicin-derivatives current enlarged the options of conservative therapy. Thus the surgery of pulmonary tuberculosis are rare operations and are essentially limited to the therapy of late complications of a former collapse therapy, of destroyed lungs and bronchiectasis with recurrent infect exacerbations and life threatening or massive recurrent haemoptysis.