Role of High-Resolution Computed Tomography (HRCT) In the Assessment of Chronic Pulmonary Tuberculosis
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Background: Pulmonary tuberculosis may produce persistent parenchymal and pleural abnormalities that require detailed imaging characterization. Objective: To describe the clinical and high-resolution computed tomography findings among patients with confirmed or clinically suspected chronic pulmonary tuberculosis and assess associations between selected symptoms and radiological features. Methods: This analytical cross-sectional study included 120 patients aged 25–45 years undergoing chest HRCT at the radiology departments of Lahore General Hospital and Services Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan. Participants were selected through non-probability convenience sampling. Clinical symptoms and HRCT findings were summarized using frequencies, percentages, mean, and standard deviation. Reported symptom–imaging associations were evaluated at a significance threshold of p < 0.05. Results: The mean age was 35.08 ± 6.05 years, and 75 participants (62.5%) were male. Fever was present in 66 (55.0%), cough in 64 (53.3%), and weight loss in 62 (51.7%). HRCT demonstrated pulmonary infiltrates in 96 (80.0%), cavitation in 66 (55.0%), nodules in 50 (41.7%), and pleural thickening in 44 (36.7%). Bilateral involvement occurred in 108 participants (90.0%). Cough was associated with cavitation (p = 0.030), and fever was associated with infiltrates (p = 0.020); weight loss was not significantly associated with cavitation (p = 0.070). Conclusion: HRCT identified frequent and extensive pulmonary abnormalities and may support anatomical characterization of chronic pulmonary tuberculosis when interpreted with clinical and microbiological findings.
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