Differentiated Approaches to the Choice of Timing of Surgical Treatment for Intrathoracic Lymph Node Tuberculosis in Children during Increasing Incidence of Multiple Drug Resistant Tuberculosis

The objective: to develop differentiated approaches to the choice of timing of surgical treatment of intrathoracic lymph node tuberculosis (ITLNTB) in children during the increasing incidence of multiple drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB).

Subjects and Methods. 52 patients of 2-12 years old had their intrathoracic lymph nodes removed at different stages of anti-tuberculosis therapy. All children had massive (more than 10-15 mm) conglomerates in their intrathoracic lymph nodes. Additionally to changes in intrathoracic lymph nodes, 12 people had active tuberculous changes in the lungs or bronchial tuberculosis.

Results. 5 patients were operated before chemotherapy, 35 patients after 2 months of treatment, and 12 patients underwent surgery afterwards. The elective surgery was performed in 51 children, and 1 child had surgery before the start of chemotherapy due to vital indications (the threat of breakthrough of caseous masses into the trachea).

Planned surgical treatment in children with tuberculosis of intrathoracic lymph nodes should be carried out within the following timing: before the start of anti-tuberculosis therapy in the absence of clinical, laboratory and radiological signs of the disease being active; as soon as possible from the start of chemotherapy (it is enough to focus on the results of the first CT control after 2 months of treatment (there should be no tendency to involution of pathological changes) in the presence of minimal signs of tuberculosis activity). The choice of timing of planned surgical treatment is individual and determined by the timing of stabilization of pulmonary changes or the cure of bronchial tuberculosis (after 6, 9, 12 months) in patients with newly diagnosed active tuberculosis of intrathoracic lymph nodes in combination with lung and/or bronchial lesions. The development of life-threatening complications is an absolute indication for emergency surgery.

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