The Effects of Urokinase Instillation Therapy via Percutaneous Transthoracic Catheter Drainage in Loculated Tuberculous Pleural Effusion: A Randomized Prospective Study

소방이 형성된 결핵성 흉막염 환자에서 경피적 도관을 이용한 유로카나제 치료의 효과 ; 전향적 무작위연구

Background: Tuberculous pleural effusion responds well to the anti-tuberculosis agents in general, so no further aggressive therapeutic managements to drain the tuberculous effusion is necessary except in case of diagnostic thoracentesis. But in clinical practice, we often see some patients who later decortication need due to dyspnea caused by pleural thickening despite the completion of anti-tuberculosis therapy in the patients with tuberculous effusion. Especially, the patients with loculated tuberculous effusion might have increased chance of pleural thickening after treatment. The purpose of this study was that intrapleural urokinase instillation could reduce the pleural thickening in the treatment of loculated tuberculous pleural effusion. Methods: Thirty-seven patients initially diagnosed as having loculated tuberculous pleural effusion were randomly assigned to receive either the combined treatment of urokinase instillation and anti-tuberculosis agents(UK group) and anti-tuberculosis agents(Non-UK group) alone. The 16 patients in UK group received a single radiographically guided pig-tail catheter ranging in size from 10 to 12 French. 100,000 units of urokinase was dissolved in 150 ml of normal saline and instilled into the pleural cavity via pig-tail catheter every day, also this group was treated with anti-tuberculosis agents. While the 21 patients in Non-UK group were treated with anti-tuberculosis agents only except diagnostic thoracentesis. Then we evaluated the residual pleural thickening after treatment for their loculated tuberculous pleural effusion between the two groups. Also the duration of symptoms and the pleural fluid biochemistry like WBC counts, pH, lactic dehydrogenase(LDH), glucose, proteins, and adenosine deaminase(ADA) were compared. Results: 1) The residual pleural thickening(RPT)($5.08{\pm}6.77$ mm) of UK group was significantly lower than that($20.3222{\pm}26.37$ mm) of Non-UK group(P<0.05). 2) The duration of symptoms before anti-tuberculosis drug therapy of patients with RPT$\geq$10 mm($5.23{\pm}3.89$ wks) was significantly longer than the patients with RPT<10 mm($2.63{\pm}1.99$ wks)(P<0.05). 3) There were no significant differences in the pleural fluid findings like WBC count, glucose, LDH, proteins, pH, ADA between the patients with RPT$\geq$10 mm and the patients with RPT<10 mm. Conclusion : The treatment of loculated tuberculous pleural effusion with the urokinase instillation via percutaneous transthoraic catheter was effective to reduce the pleural thickening.

연구배경: 결핵성 흉막염은 항결핵요법만으로 치료가 잘되므로 일반적으로 진단적 흉수천자이외에 흉막염의 적극적 배액은 불필요하다고 알려져 있다. 그러나 항결핵요법 후에도 흉막박피술등의 처치가 필요할 정도로 흉막비후가 오는 경우를 비교적 흔히 접하게 된다. 이에 저자들은 소방이 형성된 결핵성 흉막염 환자에게 경피적 도관을 이용한 유로키나제 치료로 적극적 배액을 시도한 경우와 진단적 흉수천자와 항결핵요법으로 치료한 경우 흉막비후의 차이가 있는지에 대한 비교연구를 함으로서, 소방이 형성된 결핵성 흉막염 환자에서 유로키나제에 의한 흉막비후에 대한 치료효과를 결정하고 자하였다. 방 법: 소방이 형성된 결핵성 흉막염으로 확진된 37명의 환자를 대상으로 전향적 무작위연구로 16명의 유로키나제군(경피적 도관을 삽입 후 유로키나제 투여+항결핵제 투여)과 21명의 비유로키나제군(항결핵제 투여)으로 나누어, 두군 환자들의 치료전 후의 흉부사진으로 흉막비후(RPT) 을 관찰하였으며, 또한 두 군의 진단당시 임상상 및 흉막액의 백혈구수, pH, 혈당, 단백질, LDH, ADA를 비교하였다. 결 과: 1) 유로키나제군과 비유로카나제군의 흉막비후는 각각 $5.08{\pm}6.77$ mm와 $20.32{\pm}26.37$ mm로, 유로키나제군에서 흉막비후가 유의하게 적었다(P<0.05). 2) 두 군의 흉막비후에(RPT$\geq$10 mm) 영향을 미치는 임상적 지표 중 흉통, 발열, 호흡곤란 등 치료 전 증상 발현기간이 흉막비후가(RPT$\geq$10 mm) 있는 경우(평균 $5.23{\pm}3.89$ 주)가 흉막비후가 없는 경우(평균 $2.63{\pm}1.99$ 주)보다 의의 있게 길었다(p<0.05). 3) 흉막비후(RPT는 10 mm)의 예측인자로 흉수액 천자검사에서 백혈구수, pH, 혈당, 단백질, LDH, ADA등은 차이가 없었다. 결 론: 소방이 형성된 결핵성 흉막염 환자에서 항결핵제 치료 와 함께 유로키나제를 이용한 흉막액의 적극적 배액시 흉막비후의 후유증을 줄일 수 있는 것으로 생각된다.