ObjectiveTo systematically review the diagnostic value of procalcitonin (PCT) for tuberculous pleural effusion. MethodsWe electronically searched CNKI, WanFang Data, VIP, CBM, PubMed, The Cochrane Library and EMbase from inception to April, 2013, to collect the literature about the diagnostic value of PCT for tuberculous pleural effusion compared with gold standard (positive outcomes of mycobacterium tuberculosis culture). Two reviewers screened literature according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, extracted data, and assessed the quality of included studies. MetaDiSc 1.4 were used to conduct the meta-analysis. ResultsEight studies were finally included. The results of meta-analysis showed the pooled sensitivity and specificity were 0.63 (95%CI 0.58 to 0.68) and 0.76 (95%CI 0.70 to 0.81), respectively. The positive likelihood ratio and negative likelihood ratio were 2.72 (95%CI 1.48 to 5.02) and 0.49 (95%CI 0.29 to 0.82), respectively. The diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) was 5.77 (95%CI 1.89 to 17.58). And the SROC AUC was 0.79. Heterogeneity was mainly derived from the QUADAS score and Begg's test showed there was no presence of publication bias. ConclusionPCT is a potential marker in the diagnosis of benign and tuberculous pleural effusion, which can be used to determine diagnosis identification of tuberculous pleural effusion.
Objective To systematically review the risk factors for death in children with tuberculous meningitis (TBM). Methods The CNKI, VIP, WanFang Data, CBM, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, PubMed, EMbase and CINAHL databases were electronically searched to collect studies on the risk factors for death in children with TBM from inception to October 2022. Two reviewers independently screened the literature, extracted data and assessed the risk of bias of the included studies. Meta-analysis was then performed by using RevMan 5.3 software. Results A total of 15 studies involving 2 597 patients were included. The results of meta-analysis showed that male (OR=2.41, 95%CI 1.61 to 3.61, P<0.01), no history of BCG vaccination (OR=3.74, 95%CI 1.96 to 7.12, P<0.01), TBM stage (stage Ⅲ) (OR=2.04, 95%CI 1.26 to 3.28, P<0.01), HIV infection (OR=3.28, 95%CI 1.20 to 8.93, P=0.02), convulsion (OR=3.61, 95%CI 3.31 to 3.94, P<0.01), disturbance of consciousness (OR=3.58, 95%CI 2.40 to 5.34, P<0.01), cerebrospinal fluid protein concentration increased (OR=1.87, 95%CI 1.39 to 2.51, P<0.01), hydrocephalus (OR=2.44, 95%CI 1.60 to 3.71, P<0.01) and short hospitalization (OR=2.89, 95%CI 2.05 to 4.06, P<0.01) were risk factors for death in children with TBM. Under 5 years old, negative PPD skin test, positive meningeal irritation sign, malnutrition and history of contact with TB may not be associated with the death of TBM in children. Conclusion Male, no history of BCG vaccination, TBM stage (stage Ⅲ), HIV infection, convulsions, disturbance of consciousness, cerebrospinal fluid protein concentration increased, hydrocephalus and short hospitalization are risk factors for death in children with TBM. Due to the limited quality and quantity of the included studies, more high quality studies are needed to verify the above conclusion.
Objective To comprehensively observe, recognize, learn and understand the clinical features of tuberculous meningitis (TBM). Methods We retrospectively analyzed the general data, clinical manifestations, clinical examinations and treatment prognosis of 152 patients with TBM who were hospitalized in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical College between January 2016 and February 2017. Results The mean age of the 152 patients with TBM was (43.9±20.4) years old, the ratio of male to female was 1.45:1, and the average length of hospital stay was (20.0±18.9) days. The clinical manifestations were mainly headache [95.4% (145/152)], nausea and vomiting [42.8% (65/152)], and fever [61.8% (94/152)]. The main co-morbidities were secondary pulmonary tuberculosis [52.0% (79/152)], hematogenous disseminated tuberculosis [37.5% (57/152)], and tuberculous pleurisy [30.9% (47/152)]. The positive rate of γ-interferon release test was 90.8% (129/142), and the brain pressure of lumbar puncture was elevated. The typical biochemical changes of cerebrospinal fluid were " low glucose, low chlorine, and high protein”. The positive rate of tuberculosis smear was extremely low, and the positive rate of GeneXpert MTB/RIF in cerebrospinal fluid was 21.9% (7/32). The TBM patiens were prone to combine with hypoproteinemia, the proportion reached 29.6% (45/152), and the proportion of hyponatremia reached 45.3% (69/152). Treated with early diagnosis and treatment, 92.1% (140/152) improved and discharged. Conclusions TBM patients are mainly young and middle-aged with various clinical manifestations and less respiratory symptoms; and are easy to be combined with pulmonary tuberculosis and other extrapulmonary tuberculosis. γ-interferon release test and cerebrospinal fluid GeneXpert MTB/RIF can be used for the auxiliary diagnosis of tuberculosis. Early detection, early diagnosis and treatment, rational and regular chemotherapy, strengthening symptomatic supportive treatment, and improving the precise diagnosis and treatment of TBM, can improve its clinical prognosis.
ObjectiveTo investigate the overall accuracy of interleukin-12 (IL-12) for diagnosis of tuberculous pleurisy. MethodsWe searched in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases, WanFang Data, and VIP Information for qualified studies that reported diagnostic accuracy of IL-12 for tuberculous pleurisy up to February 2014. The methodological quality of each study was evaluated by Quality assessment of diagnostic accuracy studies. Statistical analyses were performed by Meta-Disc 1.4 software and the pooled sensitivity, specificity and other diagnostic indexes. Meta-analysis of the reported accuracy of each study and summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curve were also performed. ResultsEight studies met the inclusion criteria for the analysis. The summary estimates for IL-12 in the diagnosis of tuberculous pleurisy were:sensitivity 0.80 [95% CI (0.76, 0.84)], specificity 0.76 [95% CI (0.71, 0.81)], positive likelihood ratio 3.23 [95% CI (2.26, 4.60)], negative likelihood ratio 0.30 [95% CI (0.20, 0.45)], diagnostic odds ratio 13.57 [95% CI (6.66, 27.64)], and the area under the curve of SROC was 0.86. ConclusionIL-12 plays a valuable role in the diagnosis of tuberculous pleurisy, and IL-12 may be a useful diagnostic marker for tuberculous pleurisy.
Objective To investigate the clinical features of tuberculous meningoencephalitis.Methods The clinical characteristics and laboratory results of 126 cases who were diagnosed as tuberculous meningoencephalitis fromJanuary 2000 to April 2009 were analyzed retrospectively. Results The clinical manifestations of tuberculous meningoencephalitis included fever, headache, vomitting, hemiparalysis,paraplegia, mental anomaly, hypopsia, deafness, diplopia, muscular spasms, coma, and incomplete oculomotor palsy, etc. Vomitting which was characteristic symptom of tuberculous meningoencephalitis was found in 25 cases( 19. 8% ) . The diagnosis was confirmed more than eightweeks after the onset of the disease in 31 cases ( 24. 6% ) . The inhospital mortality rate of tuberculous meningoencephalitis was 14. 3% ( 18 /126) . The inhospital mortality rate of re-treatment patients was 42. 9% ( 6 /14) . In 41 patients with poor prognosis ( death or therapy failure) , 68. 3% ( 28/41) cases were complicated with military tuberculosis, which was higher than the overall occurrence of 41. 3% ( 52/126) . Conclusions Strict diagnostic criteria and atypicalsymptoms lead to delayed diagnosis, delayed treatment, and high mortality in patients with tuberculous meningoencephalitis, particularly in patients with military tuberculosis and re-treatment patients. There is still no effective treatment which have a significant impact on the prognosis.
Objective To compare the effects of heparin versus urokinase injection intrapleurally in the management of pleural thickening and adhesion due to tuberculous exudative pleurisy. Methods Sixty patients with tuberculous pleurisy were allocated into three groups randomly. Sodium heparin ( heparin group) , urokinase ( urokinase group) , and 0. 9% saline ( control group) were intrapleurally injected respectively. The concentrations of fibrinogen and D-dimer in pleural effusion were measured before and after the injection. The duration of absorption and the total drainage volume of pleural effusion were recorded. The pleural thickness and adhesion were observed two months after the injection. Results In 72 hours after the intrapleural injection, the concentration of fibrinogen( g/L) in the pleural effusion was significantly increased in the heparin group( 1. 13 ±0. 44 vs 0. 34 ±0. 19, P lt; 0. 001) , and significantly decreased in the urokinase group( 0. 25 ±0. 16 vs 0. 38 ±0. 15, P lt; 0. 05) when compared with baseline. Concentrations of D-dimer in the pleural effusions were significantly higher than those at baseline in both the heparin group and the urokinase group( 57. 0 ±17. 6 vs 40. 0 ±15. 4, P lt; 0. 05; 74. 5 ±16. 4 vs 43. 8 ±14. 9, P lt; 0. 001) . There were no significant differences in the absorption duration of pleural effusion among the three groups( P gt;0. 05) . The total drainage volume of pleural effusion was higher in the heparin group and the urokinase group compared to the control group( P lt;0. 01) . And the total volume of pleural effusion was significantly higher in the heparin group and the urokinase group than that in the control group( 2863 mL and 2465 mL vs 1828 mL,P lt;0. 01) . Two months after the intervention, the pleura were thinner[ ( 1. 37 ±0. 82) mm and ( 1. 33 ±0. 85) mmvs ( 3. 06 ±1. 20) mm, P lt; 0. 01] and the incidence of pleural adhesion was significantly lower[ 15% and 20% vs 50% , P lt; 0. 05] in the heparin and the urokinase groups than those in the control group.Conclusion Intrapleural heparin has similar effects with urokinase for prevention pleural thickness andadhesion in tuberculous pleurisy with good availability and safety.
ObjectiveTo investigate the efficacy of combined telephone and WeChat follow-up for patients discharged with an indwelling closed thoracic drainage tube after surgery for stage Ⅲ tuberculous empyema. MethodsPatients with stage Ⅲ tuberculous empyema who were discharged with an indwelling drainage tube from the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Public Health Clinical Center of Chengdu, between November 2021 and November 2022 were enrolled in this study. They were divided into an observation group (combined telephone and WeChat follow-up) and a control group (telephone-only follow-up). The quality of life (QoL), treatment adherence, and recovery outcomes were compared between the two groups. Results A total of 81 patients were included. The observation group consisted of 49 patients (31 males, 18 females) with a mean age of (38.63±15.86) years. The control group consisted of 32 patients (27 males, 5 females) with a mean age of (36.91±17.33) years. The observation group showed significantly better postoperative QoL outcomes in the domains of physical functioning, emotional functioning, physical symptoms, global health status, and overall QoL compared to the control group (all P<0.05). Regarding treatment adherence, the observation group demonstrated superior performance in daily activity duration, use of a respiratory trainer, and adherence to coughing exercises compared to the control group (all P<0.001). The duration of chest tube indwelling was significantly shorter in the observation group (P<0.001). Furthermore, the observation group showed better recovery in albumin and hemoglobin levels (both P<0.05). ConclusionA combined telephone and WeChat follow-up approach can significantly improve the QoL and treatment adherence for patients discharged with an indwelling drainage tube. This method effectively shortens the duration of postoperative tube drainage, promotes nutritional recovery, and accelerates overall postoperative rehabilitation.
ObjectiveTo investigated the levels of aldolase A (ALDOA) in pleural effusion in patients with different pathological types of lung cancer and patients with tuberculous pleurisy,and the correlation between ALDOA and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA),lactate dehydrogenase(LDH). Methods80 cases of pleural effusion samples were collected,of which 65 cases of lung cancer (malignant group) and 15 cases of tuberculous pleurisy (TB group). All the patients were not treated with anti-inflammatory or steroid therapy. ALDOA concentrations in pleural effusion were detected by ELISA and the contents of CEA and LDH in pleural fluid were detected by chemiluminescence assay. ResultsThe levels of ALDOA,CEA and LDH in the malignant group were 46.75±21.39 ng/mL,82.24±56.63 ng/mL,755.76±382.54 U/L respectively,and were 23.92±17.21 ng/mL,2.55±1.67 ng/mL,and 388.37±163.87 U/L in the TB group respectively. The levels of ALDOA,CEA and LDH in the malignant group were significantly higher than those in the TB group (P<0.01). The concentrations of ALDOA in malignant pleural effusion from different pathological types of lung cancer were 71.65±32.09 ng/mL(adenocarcinoma),22.43±18.23 ng/mL(small cell lung cancer),and 19.16±13.85 ng/mL(squamous cell carcinoma),respectively. The concentration of ALDOA in malignant pleural effusion from the adenocarcinoma patients was significantly higher than that in the other two types (P<0.05). The concentration of CEA was 112.40±62.71 ng/mL(adenocarcinoma),62.45±54.78 ng/mL(small cell lung cancer),and 71.87±52.4 ng/mL(squamous cell carcinoma),respectively. It was significantly higher in adenocarcinoma than that in other two types (P<0.05). The levels of LDH were 661.81±328.93 U/L(adenocarcinoma),737.62±315.41 U/L(small cell lung cancer),767.85±503.28 U/L(squamous cell carcinoma),respectively. There was no significant difference in three types(P>0.05). The concentrations of ALDOA in pleural effusion from the patients with lung cancer or tuberculous pleurisy were positively correlated with the concentrations of CEA and LDH (P<0.01 or 0.05). ConclusionThe levels of ALDOA,CEA and LDH in malignant pleural effusion from lung cancer patients were significantly higher than those in pleural effusion from patients with tuberculous pleurisy. The ALDOA and CEA levels in malignant pleural effusion from lung adenocarcinoma patients were significantly higher than those in small cell lung cancer and squamous cell carcinoma patients. There were highly positive correlation between ALDOA,CEA and LDH levels.
ObjectiveTo analyze the curative effect and prognosis of drug resistant tuberculosis meningitis (TBM). MethodsRetrospective analysis was carried out on the clinical data of thirty-two cases of drug resistant tuberculous meningitis patients hospitalized from January 2010 to December 2015. And the prognosis of the patients was evaluated by meliorated Rankin Scale (mRS). ResultsThirty-one cases (96.9%) were improved in 32 patients with drug resistant TBM, and 1 case (3.1%) was ineffective. After treatment, one patient had hormone-related glaucoma and osteoporosis, and one patient had drug Cushing syndrome. Twenty-seven patients (84.4%) had an mRS score equal to or less than 2 points. ConclusionDrug resistant TBM is difficult to diagnose in the early stage, and the curative effect is satisfying with active anti-tuberculosis treatment.
Objective To formulate an evidence-based treatment for a patient with pulmonary tuberculosis combined with tuberculous meningitis and tuberculous pericarditis. Methods According to the principles of evidencebased clinical practice, we searched The Cochrane Library (Issue 2, 2008), Ovid-Reviews (1991 to 2008), MEDLINE (1950 to 2008), and http://www.guideline.org. to identify the best evidence for treating a patient with pulmonary tuberculosis combined with tuberculous meningitis and tuberculous pericarditis. Results Nine guidelines, 2 systematic reviews, and 11 randomized controlled trials were included. The evidence showed that corticosteroids could help reduce the risk of death and disabling residual neurological deficiencies in patients with tuberculous meningitis. After adjusting for age and gender, the overall death rate of patients with tuberculous pericarditis was significantly reduced by prednisolone (P=0.044), as well as the risk of death from pericarditis (P=0.004). But for patients with pulmonary tuberculosis, there was still a controversy about the use of corticosteroids. Given the evidence, the patient’s clinical conditions, and his preferences, dexamethasone was used for the boy in question. After 7 weeks of treatment, his cerebrospinal fluid returned to normal and pericardial effusion disappeared. Conclusion Corticosteroids should be recommended in HIV-negative people with tuberculous meningitis or/and tuberculous pericarditis. The difference in the effectiveness of various corticosteroids such as dexamethasone, prednisolone, or methylprednisolone and the optimal duration of corticosteroid therapy is still unknown.