Significance of tuberculosis of the large bronchi in the diagnosis and treatment of restrictive forms of pulmonary tuberculosis

: A total of 1223 new cases of restrictive forms of pulmonary tuberculosis were examined. Of them 652 and 598 patients were followed up in the period of the good (1980-1984) and poor (1997-2001) tuberculosis epidemiological situation, respectively. A comparative analysis has indicated that there has been recently a rise in the incidence of tuberculosis of main bronchi from 10.5 to 18.0%, which most commonly complicates intrathoracic lymph nodal or infiltrative pulmonary tuberculosis. A more severe clinical course and a more frequent bacterial isolation have been ascertained mainly in infiltrative, ulcerative, and fistular forms of bronchial tuberculosis irrespective of the form of pulmonary tuberculosis. The comprehensive examination of patients with restrictive pulmonary tuberculosis is certain to include bronchial fibroscopy that may determine the form and phase of bronchial tuberculosis, the rate of a process in the lung, make and differentiate its diagnosis, use systematic and topical therapy (with hydrocortisone aerosols, GINK, streptomycin), and cure bronchial tuberculosis within 2-3 months.