Post-tuberculous chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

OBJECTIVE To determine the frequency of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as a sequel of treated pulmonary tuberculosis. STUDY DESIGN A case series. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY Department of Pulmonology, Military Hospital, Rawalpindi, from April to November 2007. METHODOLOGY Forty seven adults, previously treated for pulmonary tuberculosis and presenting subsequently with chronic exertional dyspnoea for which no other alternate cause was found were included. Those having a probability of re-activated TB, having history of current or previous smoking or occupational exposure, asthmatics and cases of interstitial lung disease and ischemic heart disease were excluded. Pre- and post-dilator FVC, FEV1 and FEV1/FVC were recorded in each case through simple spirometry on Spirolab-II-MIR S/N 507213. Stage and pattern of COPD was recorded. RESULTS There were 76.5% (n=36) males. Mean age was 56.4 and 44.2 years in males and females respectively. Twenty six (55.3%) were found to have an obstructive ventilatory defect of different degrees: severe/stage III in 69.2% (n=18), moderate/stage II in 23.0 % (n=6) and mild/stage I in 5.9% (n=2). Fourteen (29.7%) were found to have a restrictive pattern and 7 (14.8%) revealed a mixed obstructive and restrictive pattern. CONCLUSION Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease can occur as one of the chronic complications of pulmonary tuberculosis and the obstructive ventilatory defect appears more common among various pulmonary function derangements.