[Clinical analysis of 10 cases of chest wall tuberculosis].
OBJECTIVE
A series of 10 cases of chest wall tuberculosis (man/woman=7/3, average age 62 +/- 17 years old) during past seven years were reviewed.


RESULTS
Acid-fast bacillus was detected from an abscess in 60% by smear, 30% by culture, and 75% by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). It was characteristic that enhanced CT of abscess revealed a low density mass with peripheral enhancement, 'rim enhancement findings', in all cases. CT also showed ipsilateral pleural thickening in all cases, suggesting lymphogenous pathogenesis of chest wall lesions from tuberculous pleurisy. As for the treatment, antituberculosis chemotherapies were done in all cases. In addition, open drainage was done in 8 cases and curettage of abscess was performed in 5 cases. None of these ten cases had relapsed during the follow-up periods for 12 to 77 months.


CONCLUSIONS
Chest wall tuberculosis is still important as a disorder of a chest wall mass requiring differential diagnosis. Contrasting CT is thought to be useful for the diagnosis. It should be emphasized that 50% of the cases had good outcome without curettage.
Haruna
Akane
A
Department of Respiratory Medicine, Nishi-Kobe Medical Center, Kobe City General Hospital, Japan.
Tomioka
Hiromi
H
Ohtake
Yousuke
Y
Fujiyama
Riyo
R
Ohnishi
Hisashi
H
Sakurai
Toshiyasu
T
Tada
Kimihide
K
Sakamoto
Hiroko
H
Yamamoto
Tsuyoshi
T
Sakashita
Tetsuji
T
Aoki
Minoru
M
Iwasaki
Hironobu
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003475:Curettage; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004322:Drainage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014396:Tuberculosis, Pleural / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000628:therapy; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000628:therapy
D000995:Antitubercular Agents