title: Outcomes of standard and tailored anti-tuberculosis regimens in patients with tuberculous pleural effusion.
abstract: In an era of increasing concerns about drug resistance, there are limited data on treatment outcomes and recurrence rates after standard short-course anti-tuberculosis treatment in patients with culture-negative tuberculous pleural effusion (TPE).
  
  
  
  To compare treatment outcomes and recurrence rates between a standard anti-tuberculosis regimen with negative culture and unavailable drug susceptibility testing (DST) data, and a tailored anti-tuberculosis regimen based on individual DST data.
  
  
  
  We analysed the data of all patients with TPE from the TB registry database at Kyungpook National University Hospital, South Korea, during 2008-2012. The study population was divided into two groups according to regimen.
  
  
  
  Standard and tailored anti-tuberculosis regimens were administered to respectively 124 and 146 patients with TPE. Drug resistance was detected in 10% of patients with TPE, about a quarter of whom were multidrug-resistant. The treatment completion rate was not significantly different between the two groups (91% vs. 93%). During a median 20-month follow-up, the recurrence rate was also similar in both groups (1% vs.1%).
  
  
  
  Despite limited statistical power, these preliminary results support the hypothesis that immunocompetent patients with culture-negative TPE can be appropriately managed with a standard short-course anti-tuberculosis regimen, even in this era of increasing concerns about drug resistance.
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea.
authors: C H
authors: CH
authors: Kim
authors: Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea.
authors: J K
authors: JK
authors: Lim
authors: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea.
authors: D H
authors: DH
authors: Lee
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea.
authors: S S
authors: SS
authors: Yoo
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea.
authors: S Y
authors: SY
authors: Lee
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea.
authors: S I
authors: SI
authors: Cha
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea.
authors: J Y
authors: JY
authors: Park
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea.
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Lee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010996:Pleural Effusion / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015995:Prevalence; D012008:Recurrence; D056910:Republic of Korea; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018088:Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents