title: [Pleural tuberculosis in a hospital in Northeast Argentina].
abstract: Pleural tuberculosis ranks first in extrapulmonary sites. The aim of this study was to estimate the proportion pleural TB among TB cases, and characterize the presentation, diagnostic methods and outcomes of patients hospitalized in the ángela I. de Llano hospital, Corrientes, Argentina, between January 1, 2011 and June 30, 2014. We performed a descriptive and observational study. Ten patients were diagnosed with TB pleural effusion. The mean age was 48.5 ± 16.9 (16-63) years. The average evolution time before the consultation was 21.3 ± 11.6 (7-45) days. All were unilateral, exudates, with cell count of 2152 ± 687 (84-7000) cells; 8 cases had lymphocyte predominance. The average value of adenosine deaminase determination (ADA) was 92.7 ± 27.0 (60-150) IU/l. The pleural effusion smear was positive in 4 cases; development of Mycobacterium tuberculosis was obtained in 3 cases; histologically, three presented caseating granulomas. One death was recorded. Although pleural TB usually occurs in male patients, middle-aged, as a unilateral exudative pleural effusion with lymphocytic predominance, with less than a month's evolution, diagnostic certainty has its limitations, thus clinical suspicion, epidemiology, imaging, pathology and laboratory tests, and determination of adenosine deaminase levels, represent a valuable contribution to diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Clínica Médica, Hospital ángela I. de Llano, Corrientes, Argentina. E-mail: golembabmx@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Alfredo S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Golemba
authors.forename: Francisco G E
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Ferreyra
authors.forename: Gloria B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Rovai
authors.forename: Fernando R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Achinelli
mesh_terms: D000243:Adenosine Deaminase / Q000097:blood*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001118:Argentina / Q000453:epidemiology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006099:Granuloma / Q000453:epidemiology; D006761:Hospitals / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology; D014396:Tuberculosis, Pleural / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000243:Adenosine Deaminase
keywords: tuberculosis; tuberculosis pleural-effusion