Abstract Rationale Post-tuberculosis lung disease (PTLD) is a common but underrecognized complication following treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis. Inflammation triggered by Mycobacterium tuberculosis can cause lung parenchymal fibrosis, bronchovascular distortion, distortion of airways, bronchiectasis and/or pleural thickening that can cause chronic symptoms and pulmonary functional impairment. Individuals with PTLD can be asymptomatic with or without anatomical lesions on chest imaging but with significant ventilatory defects. This study aims to determine the incidence of PTLD in a Cebu City tertiary hospital - Tuberculosis Directly Observed Treatment Shortcuts facility and describe its risk factors. Methods This is a bidirectional cross sectional study conducted at the Tuberculosis Directly Observed Treatment Shortcourse facility of a tertiary hospital in Cebu City, Philippines. Sampling followed total enumeration and patients previously treated for pulmonary tuberculosis at a Directly Observed Treatment Shortcourse facility in a tertiary hospital in Cebu City were contacted and asked to participate. Once with consent, baseline demographic and medical data were taken. Respiratory symptoms were assessed through the St. George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) and those with dyspnea were graded through the modified MRC dyspnea scale (mMRC) and BORG scale. Those without contraindications proceeded to pulmonary function testing through spirometry. Results Twenty-one patients were enrolled in the study and significant pulmonary impairment was identified in 15 or 71.4%. Their spirometry revealed a mixed ventilatory defect in 28.6%, obstructive defect in 23.8%, and restrictive defect in 19%. No baseline demographic data, symptom, nor radiographic finding was found to occur more often in those patients who developed PTLD. However, radiographic abnormalities were significantly more prevalent in those with PTLD compared to patients without spirometric abnormalities. Conclusion This study highlights a high burden of post-tuberculosis lung disease among previously treated PTB patients that supports the need for routine post-TB follow-up, including spirometry and chest imaging. Considering the evidence base, larger, multi-center studies are recommended to validate these findings. This abstract is funded by: None
Sy et al. (Fri,) studied this question.