What to look for when alerting to tracheobronchial tuberculosis

    Tracheal and bronchial tuberculosis, as the name implies, refers to tuberculosis that occurs in the mucosa and submucosa of the trachea and bronchi. In recent years, with the changes in the tuberculosis epidemic, tracheobronchial tuberculosis has also become a common clinical condition. Due to its insidious nature, it is difficult to make early diagnosis, and it is often missed and misdiagnosed, which increases the severity and infectiousness of the disease; due to the severity of the lesion, it is difficult to restore the structure and function of the lesion, which often leaves dysfunction and other sequelae; due to the complexity and long-term nature of its treatment, it is difficult for patients’ economic status and compliance with medical treatment.  The early manifestations of tracheobronchial tuberculosis are mainly cough and sputum, often an irritating cough that is difficult to be relieved, and as the disease progresses, hemoptysis, chest tightness and dyspnea, wheezing sounds that exist in both directions of fixed inspiration and expiration at restricted or extensive sites, and systemic symptoms such as weakness, emaciation, afternoon fever and night sweats. Early, simple tracheobronchial tuberculosis is often undetectable on routine X-ray chest radiographs at an early stage, and is often misdiagnosed as asthma, bronchiectasis, bronchiectasis, etc., and even further aggravated by prolonged, heavy use of adrenal glucocorticoids. For this reason, patients with persistent cough should undergo timely X-ray chest or CT examinations, sputum examination for Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and bronchoscopy in necessary cases for early detection and confirmation of the diagnosis.  In addition, clinical and radiologists should be more alert to tracheal and bronchial tuberculosis.  If abnormal changes caused by bronchial stenosis or obstruction are detected, such as reducible atelectasis, limited obstructive emphysema, obstructive pneumonia, recurrent cavities or tension cavities or fluid levels in cavities, the presence of bronchial disseminated lesions, narrowing or wall thickening of draining bronchi, and lower lobe pulmonary tuberculosis. Chest CT may even show narrowing, distortion, or even obstruction of the diseased bronchus, and the resulting abnormal lung changes, all of which should be thought of as possible tracheal and bronchial tuberculosis.  Fibrinoscopy is clinically important for the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis, especially for patients with sputum-negative suspected tuberculosis. For those with symptoms of suspected bronchial tuberculosis on X-ray or CT, such as paroxysmal, irritating dry cough, as well as unexplained hemoptysis, shortness of breath, bacillary excretion, etc., fibrinoscopy should be considered.  The treatment of tracheal and bronchial tuberculosis is firstly systemic anti-tuberculosis chemotherapy, which should follow the principles of early, regular, full course, combination and appropriate dosage, while the chemotherapy regimen should be strengthened and the course of treatment should be extended.  Second, local chemotherapy is also important. Such as nebulized inhalation and endotracheal and bronchial injection of anti-tuberculosis drugs.  Furthermore, interventional therapy via fibrinoscopy is a new and effective treatment tool that can maximize the structure and function of the lesion, promote improvement, reduce sequelae, and reduce surgical procedures.  For some cases that are difficult to treat medically, such as severe organic bronchial stenosis, obstruction or concomitant distal atelectasis or tension cavity, surgical treatment is also possible if indicated.