Pleural Tuberculosis: Characteristics and Management

<bold>Introduction:</bold> Pleural tuberculosis is a common condition that frequently follows a benign course. It is one of the leading causes of pleural effusions, particularly in tuberculosis-endemic regions. Confirmation of diagnosis often requires biopsy, which can be performed via thoracoscopy <bold>Materials and Methods:</bold> We conducted a retrospective descriptive study at the Thoracic Surgery Department of Abderrahmen Mami Hospital in Ariana, including all patients with histologically confirmed diagnosis of pleural tuberculosis during the period from January 2012 to December 2022 <bold>Results:</bold> Our study included a total of 53 patients, with 27 males and 26 females, resulting in a sex ratio of 1.03. The mean age of the patients was 34.91 years. Pleural tuberculosis presented as clear fluid pleurisy in 36 patients and purulent pleurisy in 16 patients. Pleuropulmonary involvement was observed in only 2 patients. Right-sided involvement was noted in 65.11% of cases, and left-sided involvement in 34.88%. No bilateral involvement was observed in our series. Management was primarily medical-surgical in 92.45% of cases and medical alone with simple drainage in only 7.54%. The most commonly utilized surgical approach was video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (44.7%). The most frequently performed surgical procedure was parietal pleural biopsy with drainage (67.92%). Decortication was performed in 9.4% of cases. Only 2 patients required anatomical resection such as lobectomy for pleuropulmonary involvement. Postoperative outcomes were uneventful in 89.79% of patients and complicated in 10.2% <bold>Conclusion:</bold> A combination of diagnostic tests is often necessary to prevent progression to severe forms