Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Endobronchial tuberculosis: an overview

  • Review
  • Published:
European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Endobronchial tuberculosis (EBTB), of which the incidence has been increasing in recent years, is a special type of pulmonary tuberculosis. The endobronchial tuberculose focuses often injure the tracheobronchial wall and lead to tracheobronchial stenosis. The tracheobronchial stenosis may cause intractable tuberculosis and make patients become chronic infection sources of tuberculosis, or may even cause pulmonary complications and result in death. The etiological confirmation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is most substantial for diagnosis. However, because the positive rate of acid-fast bacillus staining for sputum smears is low and the clinical and radiological findings are usually nondistinctive, the diagnosis of EBTB is often mistaken and delayed. For early diagnosis, a high index of awareness of this disease is required and the bronchoscopy should be performed as soon as possible in suspected patients. The eradication of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and the prevention of tracheobronchial stenosis are two most substantial treatment goals. To get treatment goals, the diagnosis must be established early and aggressive treatments must be performed before the disease progresses too far.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Dye C, Scheele S, Dolin P et al (1999) Global burden of tuberculosis: estimated incidence, prevalence, and mortality by country. WHO Global Surveillance and Monitoring Project. JAMA 282:677–686

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Verver S, Warren RM, Beyers N, Richardson M et al (2005) Rate of reinfection tuberculosis after successful treatment is higher than rate of new tuberculosis. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 171:1430–1435

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Chiang CY, Riley LW (2005) Exogenous reinfection in tuberculosis. Lancet Infect Dis 5:629–636

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Du Plessis DG, Warren R, Richardson M et al (2001) Demonstration of reinfection and reactivation in HIV-negative autopsied cases of secondary tuberculosis: multilesional genotyping of Mycobacterium tuberculosis utilizing IS6110 and other repetitive element-based DNA fingerprinting. Tuberculosis 81:211–220

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Millard PS, Cegielski JP, Wing S et al (1994) Rurality and tuberculosis incidence trends in North and South Carolina, 1982 to 1992. J Rural Health 10:226–236

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Lerner BH (1999) Catching patients: tuberculosis and detention in the 1990s. Chest 115:236–241

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Glynn JR (1998) Resurgence of tuberculosis and the impact of HIV infection. Br Med Bull 54:579–593

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Judson MA, Sahn SA (1994) Endobronchial lesion in HIV-infected individuals. Chest 105:1314–1323

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Han JK, Im JG, Park JH et al (1992) Bronchial stenosis due to endobronchial tuberculosis: successful treatment with self-expanding metallic stent. AJR Am J Roentgenol 159:971–972

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Calpe JL, Chiner E, Larramendi CH (1995) Endobronchial tuberculosis in HIV-infected patients. AIDS 9:59–64

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Lee JH, Park SS, Lee DH et al (1992) Endobronchial tuberculosis: clinical and bronchoscopic feature in 121 cases. Chest 102:990–993

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Kim HC, Kim HS, Lee SJ et al (2008) Endobronchial tuberculosis presenting as right middle lobe syndrome: clinical characteristics and bronchoscopic findings in 22 cases. Yonsei Med J 49:615–619

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Van Rie A, Warren R, Richardson M et al (1999) Exogenous reinfection as a cause of recurrent tuberculosis after curative treatment. N Engl J Med 341:1174–1179

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Caun HS, Sun A, Hoheisel GB (1990) Endobronchial tuberculosis—is corticosteroid treatment useful? A report of 8 cases and review of the literature. Postgrad Med J 66:822–826

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Ömer A, Metin A, Leyla S et al (2008) The diagnostic value of bronchoscopy in smear negative cases with pulmonary tuberculosis. Tuberk Toraks 56:150–157

    Google Scholar 

  16. Lee YH, Sin Fai Lam KN (2004) Endobronchial tuberculosis simulating bronchial asthma. Singapore Med J 45:390–392

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Taniguchi H, Suzuki K, Fujisaka S et al (2003) X-ray-negative endobronchial tuberculosis with persistent irritating cough that resulted in unpredicted mass infection. Nihon Kokyuki Gakkai Zasshi 41:541–545

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Chung HS, Lee JH (2000) Bronchoscopic assessment of the evolution of endobronchial tuberculosis. Chest 117:385–392

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Cakir E, Uyan ZS, Oktem S et al (2008) Flexible bronchoscopy for diagnosis and follow up of childhood endobronchial tuberculosis. Pediatr Infect Dis J 27:783–787

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Kim YH, Kim HT, Lee KS et al (1993) Serial fiberoptic bronchoscopic observations of endobronchial tuberculosis before and early after antituberculosis chemotherapy. Chest 103:673–677

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Smith LS, Schillaci RF, Sarlin RF (1987) Endobronchial tuberculosis: serial fiberoptic bronchoscopy and natural history. Chest 91:644–647

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Hoheisel G, Chan BK, Chan CH et al (1994) Endobronchial tuberculosis: diagnostic features and therapeutic outcome. Respir Med 88:593–597

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Park CS, Him KU, Lee SM et al (1995) Bronchial hyperreactivity in patients with endobronchial tuberculosis. Respir Med 89:419–422

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Park IW, Choi BW, Hue SH (1997) Prospective study of corticosteroid as an adjunct in the treatment of endobronchial tuberculosis in adults. Respirology 2:275–281

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Kuo HP, Wang YM, Wang CH et al (2008) Matrix metalloproteinase-1 polymorphism in Taiwanese patients with endobronchial tuberculosis. Tuberculosis 88:262–267

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Kim Y, Kim K, Joe J et al (2007) Changes in the levels of interferon-gamma and transforming growth factor-beta influence bronchial stenosis during the treatment of endobronchial tuberculosis. Respiration 74:202–207

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Park HJ, Park SH, Im SA et al (2008) CT differentiation of anthracofibrosis from endobronchial tuberculosis. AJR Am J Roentgenol 191:247–251

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Tong SM, Liu H (2001) Spiral CT evaluation in diagnosis of endobronchial tuberculosis. Hunan Yi Ke Da Xue Xue Bao 26:165–166

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Yanardag H, Tetikkurt C, Tetikkurt S et al (2003) Computed tomography and bronchoscopy in endobronchial tuberculosis. Can Respir J 10:445–448

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Chawla R, Pant K, Jaggi OP et al (1998) Fibreoptic bronchoscopy in smear-negative pulmonary tuberculosis. Eur Respir J 1:804–806

    Google Scholar 

  31. Tueller C, Chhajed PN, Buitrago-Tellez C et al (2005) Value of smear and PCR in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in culture positive pulmonary tuberculosis. Eur Respir J 26:767–772

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Saglam L, Akgun M, Aktas E (2005) Induced sputum and bronchoscopy specimens in the diagnosis of tuberculosis. J Int Med Res 33:260–265

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Charoenratanakul S, Dejsomritrutai W, Chaiprasert A (1995) Diagnostic role of fiberoptic bronchoscopy in suspected smear negative pulmonary tuberculosis. Respir Med 89:621–623

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Fujii H, Ishihara J, Fukaura A et al (1992) Early diagnosis of tuberculosis by fiberoptic bronchoscopy. Tuber Lung Dis 73:167–169

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Lin SM, Chung FT, Huang CD et al (2009) Diagnostic value of endobronchial ultrasonography for pulmonary tuberculosis. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 138:179–184

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Singla R, Kumar A, Chauhan D et al (2007) Endobronchial tuberculosis presenting as tumorous mass. Indian J Chest Dis Allied Sci 49:45–47

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Rad MH, Milani M (2007) Primary endobronchial actinomycosis simulating endobronchial tuberculosis in a patient with diabetes mellitus. Tüberk Toraks 55:186–190

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Kreisel D, Arora N, Weisenberg SA et al (2007) Tuberculosis presenting as an endobronchial mass. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 133:582–584

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Yuan YR, Liang BM, Zhu H et al (2006) Bronchial hyperreactivity in endobronchial tuberculosis. Zhonghua Jie He He Hu Xi Za Zhi 29:600–602

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Um SW, Yoon YS, Lee SM et al (2008) Predictors of persistent airway stenosis in patients with endobronchial tuberculosis. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis 12:57–62

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. Hautmann H, Camarra F, Pfeifer KJ et al (2001) Fiberoptic bronchoscopic balloon dilatation in malignant tracheobronchial disease: indications and results. Chest 120:43–49

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. Wan IY, Lee TW, Lam HC et al (2002) Tracheobronchial stenting for tuberculous airway stenosis. Chest 122:370–374

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  43. Schmidt B, Olze H, Borges AC et al (2001) Endotracheal balloon dilatation and stent implantation in benign stenosis. Ann Thorac Surg 71:1630–1634

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  44. Wang H, Lin H, Jiang G (2008) Pulmonary resection in the treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis: a retrospective study of 56 cases. Ann Thorac Surg 86:1640–1645

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  45. Qingliang X, Jianxin W (2010) Investigation of endobronchial tuberculosis diagnoses in 22 cases. Eur J Med Res 15:309–313

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Respiratory Diseases Department , Chinese PLA General Hospital, 28 Fuxing Rd, 100853, Beijing, China

    Q. Xue, N. Wang, X. Xue & J. Wang

Authors
  1. Q. Xue
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. N. Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. X. Xue
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. J. Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to J. Wang.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Xue, Q., Wang, N., Xue, X. et al. Endobronchial tuberculosis: an overview. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 30, 1039–1044 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-011-1205-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-011-1205-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation