The clinico-radiological profile of obliterative bronchiolitis in a tertiary care center

Scoping review of post-TB pulmonary vascular disease: Proceedings from the 2nd International Post-Tuberculosis Symposium

Tuberculosis (TB) may cause significant long-term cardiorespiratory complications, of which pulmonary vascular disease is most under-recognized. TB is rarely listed as a cause of pulmonary hypertension (PH) in most PH guidelines, yet PH may develop at various stages in the time course of TB, from active infection through to the post-TB period. Predisposing risk factors for the development of PH are likely multifactorial, involving active TB disease and post-TB lung disease (PTLD), host-related and environment-related factors. Moreover, post-TB PH should likely be classified in Group 3 PH, with the pathogenesis similarly complex and multifactorial as other Group 3 PH causes. Identifying risk factors that predispose to post-TB PH may aid in developing risk stratification criteria for early identification and referral for confirmatory diagnostic tests. Given that universal screening for PH in TB survivors may be impractical and unfeasible, a targeted screening approach for high-risk individuals would be sensible. In this scoping review of post-TB PH, resulting from the proceedings of the 2nd International Post-Tuberculosis Symposium, we aim to describe the epidemiology, risk factors, and pathophysiology of post-TB PH. We emphasize diagnosing PH with an alternative set of diagnostic guidelines in resource-constrained settings where right heart catheterization may not be feasible. Research to describe the burden and distribution of post-TB PH should be prioritized as there is a current gap in knowledge regarding the prevalence and incidence of post-TB PH among persons with TB.

Post tuberculosis lung disease and tuberculosis sequelae: A narrative review

Post Tuberculosis lung disease (PTLD) and post tuberculosis sequelae is a global and poorly recognized problem, amplified by social factors and immunocompromising conditions, inadequate treatment, lack of effective prevention of tuberculosis (TB) infection and disease. As a disease, it remained until recently poorly defined, with studies heterogenous with regards to regions, population demographics, risk factors, cohort sizes, and methods. Pathophysiologically, even successfully treated pulmonary TB disease has sequelae i.e. involving central and peripheral airways, lung parenchyma and pleura, resulting in airway narrowing and dilatation, fibrocavitation and emphysema, pulmonary vascular changes as well as pleural fibrosis. Functionally patients have airflow limitation, restrictive disease or a mixture of both not rarely associated with respiratory, or even ventilatory failure. Quality of life is often impaired through disability, TB relapse, superinfections and through increased susceptibility to reinfection and persistent inflammation, leading to progressive lung function decline and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer. Premature mortality due to PTLD is very likely, but poorly described.