A follow-up examination of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis resected on suspicion of tumour.

Thoracotomy was performed in 91 patients who proved to have pulmonary tuberculosis. A short course of antituberculous chemotherapy was given preoperatively in 66 cases. The surviving 89 patients received antituberculous chemotherapy postoperatively, and were-re-examined from 1 to 14 years after the operation. No signs of dissemination or other tuberculous manifestations were found 1 year after termination of chemotherapy, even if preoperative treatment had not been given. One recurrence was seen 7 years after operation despite 9 months postoperative antituberculous chemotherapy. This was the only tuberculous manifestation. The survival rate was normal in the first 3 years compared with a corresponding Danish population, but became slightly reduced 10 years after operation. The quality of life did not seem to be significantly changed as estimated by the degree of disablement which could be correlated to the operation.