Application value of fibro-bronchoscopic cryosurgery combined with medication in the treatment of tracheobronchial tuberculosis

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the value of fibro-bronchoscopic cryosurgery combined with medication in the treatment of tracheobronchial tuberculosis (TBTB). METHODS: This study was designed as a prospective, randomized clinical trial. 96 patients with newly diagnosed TBTB were collected and divided into the study group (n = 48) and the control group (n = 48). Specifically, conventional anti-tuberculosis therapy was given to the control group, with the study group undergoing fibro-bronchoscopic cryosurgery combined with topical administration. Afterward, the post-treatment response rate and adverse reaction indicators were collected for comparison. RESULTS: After treatment for 6 months, the study group was superior to the control group in terms of clinical efficacy (P = 0.013), negative conversion rate of acid-fast bacilli (P = 0.014), and lesion recovery (P = 0.003); after treatment for 6 months, the study and control groups exhibited no significant differences in the response rate of inflammatory infiltration (P = 1.000) and granulation proliferation (P = 0.061). Additionally, the study group showed a higher response rate of ulcer necrosis (P = 0.041) and cicatricial stenosis (P = 0.029) than the control group, with no significant differences observed in the incidence of adverse reactions between the 2 groups (P = 0.584). Moreover, the clinical efficacy in the study group was higher than that in the control group after treatment for 12 months (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The application of fibro-bronchoscopic cryosurgery combined with topical administration on the basis of conventional anti-TB treatment can improve the clinical efficacy of TBTB patients and shorten the duration of treatment without increasing the incidence of adverse reactions.