Frequency of Tuberculosis Diagnosed on Histopathology of Pleural Peel Biopsy Post Decortication In Patients with Chronic Empyema

Objective: To elucidate the frequency and characteristics of TB in Chronic Empyema, emphasizing the role of histopathology in diagnosis, post-decortication. Study Design: Retrospective Analytical study Place and Duration of Study: Thoracic surgery Department Combined Military Hospital Rawalpindi, Pakistan from Aug 2014 to Aug 2023. Methodology: A review of 2000 patients with Chronic Empyema undergoing decortication was conducted at Thoracic surgery Department Combined Military Hospital, Rawalpindi. Biopsy specimens were obtained following decortication in individuals with persistent empyema to determine the frequency of TB in pleural peel. The patients' demographic information, medical records, and current clinical state were all gathered using a stringent data collecting process. The occurrence of TB was calculated by the examination of pleural peel biopsy specimens following decortication. The data was described utilizing descriptive statistics, encompassing measures such as medians, percentages, and means. The frequency of TB was calculated by dividing the total number of participants in the study by the number of persons who were diagnosed with tuberculosis. Results: The majority of the patients 1296(64.8%) who had decortication for persistent empyema underwent open decortication, while 704(35.2%) underwent Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery (VATS). The most common result 955(47.75%) in the histopathological study was TB, underscoring its strong correlation with persistent empyema. Additional results included malignancy 31(1.55%), pleuritis 119(5.95%), pleural fibrosis 227(11.35%), acute and chronic inflammation 433(21.65%), and nonspecific inflammation 235(11.75%). These results highlight the frequency of TB in instances of chronic empyema. Conclusion: This study shows a high correlation between TB (47.75%) and chronic empyema. ...