Chest CT Finding and Its Comparison with Bronchoscopic Finding in Endobronchial Tuberculosis

기관지결핵의 흉부전산화단층촬영소견 및 기관지경소견과의 비교

Background : Endobronchial tuberculosis(ET) is still relatively common disease in Korea. We intended to evaluate the length of endobronchial lesion, peribronchial thickness, luminal irregularity and associated mediastinal lymph node enlargement with Chest CT to get information for such aggressive treatment as electrocautery, laser therapy and so on of bronchial stricture in ET, and also to compare the change of Chest CT finding with that of bronchoscopic finding after one month of anti-tuberculosis treatment. Method : We performed CT in 26 patients who were diagnosed as ET by bronchoscopy at Boramae Hospital from November 1991 to March 1996. After classifying ET into seven subtypes according to bronchoscopic finding, we analyzed the CT finding of each subtype. And we followed up the bronchoscopy, CT, and PIT after one month of anti-tuberculosis treatment, and compared the change of CT findings with those of bronchoscopic findings in nine patients. Results : Age of the patients was from 17 to 73 years old, and the ratio of male to female was 1 : 25 with absolute female predominance. The site(s) of bronchial involvement by tuberculosis is one in 14 cases, two in nine cases and three in one case, respectively, and the left main bronchus was the most frequently involved site (13 cases for multiple involvements and 7 cases for single involvement among 26 cases). The length of bronchial involvement by tuberculosis which was measured by CT was from 10 to 55 mm, and there was a tendency that the length of involved lesion in fibrostenotic type was shorter than that of actively caseating type. Bronchial stricture on CT was noticed in 25 (96%) cases and the range of severity was from total occlusion to near-normal and also showed wide variation even though the subtype of ET was same. The increase of peribronchial thickness which was measured by CT, was noticed in 21 cases (91%) among 23 cases (in which the measurement was possible), and there was no improvement of peribronchial thickness in those cases which showed little improvement in bronchial stricture despite anti-tuberculosis treatment. There was no difference in the luminal irregularity of involved bronchi on CT in relation to bronchoscopic subtypes. The mediastinal lymph node enlargement, defined as the diameter of lymph node was larger than 1cm on CT, was detected in 20 cases (77%), and right side was more frequently involved (L : R = 1 : 5.2). The CT finding usually showed extrinsic bronchial compression but showed direct invasion in two cases which were bronchoscopically classified as tumorous type. When follow-up bronchoscopy and CT was performed after one month of anti-tuberculosis treatment in nine patients, CT showed significant improvement in peribronchial thickness and mediastinal lymph node enlargement. Bronchial stricture was also improved in 6 cases but aggravated in 3 cases despite anti-tuberculosis therapy. In two cases which were classified as fibrostenotic type by bronchoscopy, CT showed significant improvement in bronchial stricture, interestingly. Conclusion : We concluded that the role of Chest CT was complimentary to bronchoscopy in ET, since CT was useful in evaluating the length of bronchial involvement, peribronchial thickness, and mediastinal lymph node enlargement.

연구배경 : 기관지결핵에서 항결핵치료 전에 기관지경 및 CT검사를 시행하고 기관지경소견에 따른 기관지결핵의 아형별로 CT소견을 비교하여 CT의 역할에 대해서 알고자 하였고 치료후 1개월에는 기관지경 및 CT검사를 추시하여 기관지경소견에 따른 기관지결핵의 아형이 변함에 따라 CT소견은 어떤 변화를 보이는지를 알아 보고자 하였다. 방 법 : 1991년 11월부터 1996년 3월까지 보라매병원에서 기관지경 및 조직검사를 통해 기관지결핵으로 확진된 26명을 대상으로 치료전에 CT를 시행하여 기관지경 소견에 따른 아형을 구분하고 CT소견을 비교하였고 이중 9명에서는 항결핵치료후 1개월에 기관지경, CT 및 폐기능검사를 추적 검사하여 기판지경의 소견에 따른 CT소견의 변화와 폐기능의 변화를 알아보고 다음과 같은 결과를 얻었다. 결 과 : 대상환자들은 총 26명이었고 연령은 17세에서 73세의 분포를 보였으며 성별로는 남성이 1명, 여성이 25명으로 여성이 압도적으로 많았다. 1곳을 침범한 경우가 14예, 2곳을 침범한 경우가 9예, 3곳을 침범한 경우가 3예 였고, 이환된 위치는 좌측 주기관지를 침범한 경우가 13예(단독침법 7예 포함)로 가장 많았다. 이환된 기관지의 길이는 10mm에서 55mm까지 다양하였고 섬유성 협착인경우에는 이환된 길이가 건락성 괴사형에 비해서 짧았다. 기관지의 협착은 26명중 25명(96%)에서 관찰되었는데 폐엽의 허탈에서부터 경미한 협착에 이르기까지 다양했으며, 일반적으로 섬유성 협착인 경우에는 협착의 정도가 건락성 괴사형에 비해서 심했다. 가관지주위조직의 비후는 측정가능했던 23명중 21명(91%)에서 관찰되었는데 섬유성 협착인 경우의 비후의 정도가 건락성 괴사형에 비해서 심했다. 기관지점막의 불규칙정도는 각 아형별로 의미있는 차이를 보이지 않았다. 26명의 환자중 77%인 20명에서 관찰되었으며 우측에서 우월하게 관찰되었고(1 : 5.2), 2예에서는 종대된 림프절이 기관지벽을 침입하여 기관지경검사상 종양형으로 분류되었다. 항결핵치료후 1개월에 기관지경과 CT를 추적 검사했을때 기관지벽주위의 비후 및 종격동림프절의 종대는 유의하게 호전되었으며 기관지내강의 협착은 9명 중 6명에서 호전된 반면 3명에서는 오히려 악화되었다. 결 론 : 기관지결핵에서 CT검사는 기도자체의 병변의 길이, 기도협착의 정도 및 기도주위조직의 비후, 종격동림프 절종대 등의 소견을 잘반영하므로 기관지경검사와 상호 보완되는 역할을 한다.