Clinical utility of thoracoscopy in elderly tuberculous pleurisy patients under local anesthesia

Morphological manifestation of tuberculous pleurisy in children under medical thoracoscope and diagnostic value

OBJECTIVE

Our study analyzed the main manifestations of tuberculous pleurisy (TBP) in children under medical thoracoscopy (MT). This article aimed to explore the clinical application value of MT in the diagnosis and treatment of TBP in children.

METHODS

In our study, we selected 23 TBP patients diagnosed in our hospital. We analyzed the clinical data and thoracoscopic morphology of these patients. At the same time, we also observed the pathological manifestations, acid-fast staining, and treatment effects of the patient's diseased tissue under MT.

RESULTS

The MT clinical findings of TBP patients include pleural hyperemia and edema, miliary nodules, scattered or more white nodules, simple pleural adhesion, wrapped pleural effusion, massive cellulose exudation, yellow-white caseous necrosis, pleural hyperplasia and hyperplasia, and mixed pleural necrosis. The positive rate of pleural biopsy was 73.91% and that of acid-fast staining was 34.78%. The main pathologic types of these patients were tuberculous granulomatous lesions (16 cases), caseous necrosis (5 cases), and fibrinous exudative, multinucleated giant cell and other inflammatory cell infiltration lesions (13 cases). The average time of diagnosis of the 23 patients was 8.32 days (5.0-16.0 days), and they were transferred to specialized hospitals for treatment after diagnosis. The mean time of chest drainage was 3.0-5.0 days after treatment. The average time for their body temperature to return to normal was 3.31 days (2.0-5.0 days).

CONCLUSION

Thoracoscopic lesions of TBP in children are varied. The use of MT is not only helpful for the early diagnosis and treatment of TBP. It also protects and improves lung function. Therefore, the use of MT has high clinical value.

Single-centre observational study of the safety and efficacy of thoracoscopy under local anaesthesia for the management of thoracic infections

OBJECTIVES

Thoracoscopy under local anaesthesia is widely performed to diagnose malignancies and infectious diseases. However, few reports have described the use of this procedure for diagnosing and treating intrathoracic infections. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of thoracoscopy under local anaesthesia for the management of intrathoracic infections.

RESULTS

Data from patients who underwent thoracoscopy procedures performed by chest physicians under local anaesthesia at our hospital between January 2018 and December 2023 were retrospectively reviewed. We analysed their demographic factors, reasons for the examinations, diseases targeted, examination lengths, anaesthetic methods used, diagnostic and treatment success rates, as well as any adverse events. Thirty patients were included. Of these, 12 (40%) had thoracoscopies to diagnose infections, and 18 (60%) had them to treat pyothorax. In terms of diagnosing pleurisy, the causative microorganism of origin was identified via thoracoscopy in only three of 12 (25.0%) patients. For diagnosing pyothorax, the causative microorganism was identified in 7 of 18 (38.9%) patients. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was the most common causative microorganism identified. The treatment success rates were very high, ranging between 94.4 and 100%, whereas the identification rate of the causative microorganisms behind infections was low, ranging between 25.0 and 38.9%. The most frequent adverse events included perioperative hypoxaemia and pain. There were two (6.7%) serious adverse events of grade ≥ 3, but none resulted in death.

CONCLUSIONS

The efficacy of managing intrathoracic infections through thoracoscopy under local anaesthesia is commendable. Nonetheless, the diagnostic accuracy of the procedure, regarding the precise identification of the causative microorganisms responsible for intrathoracic infections, persists at a notably low level, presenting a substantial clinical hurdle.

Tuberculosis in the Elderly

The tuberculosis (TB) epidemic is most prevalent in the elderly, and there is a progressive increase in the notification rate with age. Most cases of TB in the elderly are linked to the reactivation of lesions that have remained dormant. The awakening of these lesions is attributable to changes in the immune system related to senescence. The mortality rate from tuberculosis remains higher in elderly patients. Symptoms of active TB are nonspecific and less pronounced in the elderly. Diagnostic difficulties in the elderly are common in many diseases but it is important to use all possible techniques to make a microbiological diagnosis. Recognising frailty to prevent loss of independence is a major challenge in dealing with the therapeutic aspects of elderly patients. Several studies report contrasting data about poorer tolerance of TB drugs in this population. Adherence to antituberculosis treatment is a fundamental issue for the outcome of treatment. Decreased completeness of treatment was shown in older people as well as a higher risk of treatment failure.