Role of Radiography and High Resolution Computed Tomography In Multidrug Resistant Pulmonary Tuberculosis – A Descriptive Study.

Introduction : Thereisnosignificant differencein clinical featuresofMDR-TBanddrug-sensitiveTB patients. Hence determinationof characteristic radiologicalfindingsincasesofMDR-TBmightbe ofhelpinearlydetectionandappropriatemanagementofthisdiseasecondition. Objectives :To study the pattern of Radiographic and HRCT findings in MDR-TB patients andto establish the role of HRCT in predicting the possibility of MDR-TB. Materials and methods :34 culture positive MDR-TB patients underwent chest Radiograph and HRCT during January to June 2015. Detailed image analysis was done to describe parenchymal, pleural and mediastinal lesions. Results : Most common HRCT findings in order of prevalence were fibrotic/parenchymal bands seen in 27 patients followed by bronchiectasis, parenchymal nodules, cavities, collapse, calcified lymph nodes, tree-in-bud appearance, pleural thickening and consolidation in 19, 19, 14, 9, 9, 8, 7& 5 patients respectively. Conclusion : Multiple thick walled cavities distributed in upper lobes with simultaneous chronic changes like fibrodestruction, volume loss, calcified parenchymal granulomas and diffuse pleural thickening with calcifications strongly suggest MDR-T.B.