The chest radiographic appearance and frequency distribution of cavities in pulmonary tuberculosis among adults in Northeastern, Nigeria

Abstract

The aim of the study was to assess the radiographic appearance and frequency of distribution of cavitations in the lungs using chest radiographs in Northeastern, Nigeria. A multi-center retrospective study of chest radiographs of 116 adult patients diagnosed bacteriologically as pulmonary tuberculosis was conducted. The age, sex, presence of cavitations, single or multiple, thin walled or thick walled, presence of fluid level or fungal ball in the cavity and the lobar distribution of cavitations in the lungs were assessed. There were 8 3 (71.6%) males and 33 (28.4%) females with mean age of 37.9 9 ±14.11. A total of 58 patients (50%) presented with cavitations and no sex preponderance observed. There were more cases with multiple (38 patients = 32.8%) than single (20 patients = 17.2%) cavitations (P<0.05). Cavitations were mor e common in the right (28.23%) and left upper lobes and less common in the left lower and lingula (9.68%) lobes (Table 3). There were more cavitations involving the right lung (57.16%). Thirty-four patients (58.62%) presented with only thick walled cavitations compared with 18 cases (31.03%) with only thin walled cavitations (P<0.05). Six patients (10.35) had both thick and thin wall cavitations. Out of the 58 patients with cavitations only 2.32 % (4 cases) presented with fluid levels and 1.74% (3 cases) with fungal ball. In conclusion, cavitations are a common finding in pulmonary tuberculosis with no sex preponderance and occur predominantly in the upper lobes. Multiple, thick wall cavitations were the common presentation. Fungal balls and fluid levels were rare.