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Question

The indications for surgery in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis include all of the following except

The correct answer is
AFB positive sputum with normal chest CT scan

Pulmonary Tuberculosis Surgery Indications: Identifying the Exception

The question asks to identify which condition among the given options is NOT an indication for surgery in patients suffering from pulmonary tuberculosis (TB).

Analyzing Surgical Indications in Pulmonary TB

Surgery is considered in specific, often severe, circumstances related to pulmonary TB. Let's analyze the options:

  • Severe life-threatening haemoptysis: Significant bleeding from pulmonary TB cavities is a medical emergency. Surgical resection (like lobectomy or pneumonectomy) may be required to control the bleeding when conservative measures fail.
  • Drug-resistant chronic tuberculous abscess: When a tuberculous abscess does not respond to anti-TB medications, especially if it's drug-resistant and poses an ongoing risk, surgery might be necessary for drainage or removal.
  • Aspergilloma within a tuberculous cavity with recurrent haemoptysis: The presence of a fungal ball (aspergilloma) in a TB cavity, particularly when causing repeated bleeding episodes, is a strong indication for surgical excision of the affected lung area.
  • AFB positive sputum with normal chest CT scan: Acid-Fast Bacilli (AFB) positive sputum indicates active TB infection. However, a normal chest CT scan suggests the absence of significant structural lung damage, complications like large cavities, abscesses, or extensive disease that would typically warrant surgical intervention. Standard medical treatment is usually sufficient in such cases.

Conclusion: The Exception

A normal chest CT scan, despite the presence of AFB in sputum, indicates that the disease is likely manageable medically and has not progressed to a stage requiring surgical intervention. Therefore, this scenario is the exception among the listed options.

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Important Questions from Chest & Lung Surgery

  1. Which of the following are correct for herniation via foramen of Morgagni? 

    1. It occurs posteriorly in chest. 

    2. Transverse colon is the commonest content. 

    3. Defect is between sternal and costal attachments. 

    4. It is a type of congenital hernia. 

    Select the answer using the code given below.

  2. A patient of road traffic accident presents to the emergency with increasing restlessness and difficulty in breathing. The respiratory rate is $26$ breaths/minute; there are distended neck veins; trachea is deviated to the right side with hyper-resonant note and absence of breath sounds on the left side. Which of the following statements are correct? 

    1. The most probable clinical diagno- sis is left tension pneumothorax 

    2. Immediate chest decompression using wide bore cannula in left second intercostal space should be done 

    3. Immediate chest X-ray should be done to confirm the clinical diagnosis 

    4. Definitive chest tube insertion in left fifth intercostal space should be done 

    Select the correct answer using the code given below :

  3. A patient of road traffic accident presents to the emergency with increasing restlessness and difficulty in breathing. The respiratory rate is 26 breaths/minute; there are distended neck veins; trachea is deviated to the right side with hyper-resonant note and absence of breath sounds on the left side. Which of the following statements are correct?
    1. The most probable clinical diagno-sis is left tension pneumothorax
    2. Immediate chest decompression using wide bore cannula in left second intercostal space should be done
    3. Immediate chest X-ray should be done to confirm the clinical diagnosis
    4. Definitive chest tube insertion in left fifth intercostal space should be done
    Select the correct answer using the code given below :
  4. A 50 year old male presented with pain along the left arm and ptosis. His chest X-ray showed soft tissue opacity at the apex of the left lung along with the erosion of the adjacent rib. The probable diagnosis is:
  5. Which of the following are the Indications for lung transplantation?
    1. Emphysema
    2. Primary pulmonary hypertension
    3. Obliterative bronchiolitis
    Select the correct answer using the code given below:
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