[The influence of preoperative CT image characteristics on the outcome of thoracoscopic surgery for chronic tuberculous empyema].

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the influence of four preoperative CT image characteristics on the outcome of thoracoscopic surgery for chronic tuberculous empyema. Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study. Two hundred and eleven patients of tuberculous empyema who underwent video-assisted thoracic surgery(VATS) decortication at the First Department of Surgery, Wuhan Pulmonary Hospital from June 2020 to June 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 162 male cases and 49 female cases, with an age of (M (IQR)) 33 (27) years (range: 8 to 76 years). Patients were divided into two groups according to whether low-density lines, mass-patchy density, pleural fusion were observed, and the lesion size. Compare the clinical indicators of two groups of cases. Using the rapeutic efficacy as the dependent variable and four CT features as covariates, cases with cure or improve were included in Logistic regression analysis to calculate OR (95%CI) values. Results: Preoperative chest CT images showed that 127 cases (60.2%) had low-density lines, 102 cases (48.3%) had mass-patchy density, and 88 cases (47.7%) had pleural fusion. The lesions spanned 2 to 11 intercostal spaces, with a median of 7 intercostal spaces. The lesion size was divided into two groups according to <7 intercostal spaces and ≥7 intercostal spaces, with 101 cases (47.9%) and 110 cases (52.1%), respectively. In the intra-group comparison, there were no difference in age, lesion location and pulmonary tuberculosis. In the comparison of gender, except that the proportion of female patients in the group with lesion size <7 intercostal spaces (χ²=6.064, P=0.010) was higher than ≥7 intercostal spaces, there were no significant difference between other groups. In low-density lines group, there was no difference in the incidence of anemia and hypoproteinemia between the two groups. Compared with the non low-density line group, patients with low-density line group exhibited fewer cases of abnormal elevation in ESR and CRP was lower(all P<0.01), the period of preoperative treatment (U=7 281.00, P<0.01) was longer than the non low-density line group, while the operation time, intraoperative hemorrhage, postoperative drainage at 72 hours, postoperative drainage duration, lung re-expansion duration, and therapeutic efficacy were all better than the non low-density line group(all P<0.05). In the comparison between the mass-patchy density group, there were fewer cases of anemia, hypoproteinemia, abnormal elevation of ESR and CRP in the without mass-patchy density group(all P<0.05), and the period of preoperative treatmentwas shorter (U=4 581.50, P=0.003), and the operation time, intraoperative hemorrhage, postoperative drainage at 72 hours, postoperative drainage duration, lung re-expansion duration and therapeutic effect were better too(all P<0.05). In the grouping comparison of pleural fusion, there were no difference in cases of anemia, hypoproteinemia, abnormal elevation of ESR and CRP, and the period of preoperative treatment between the two groups; the operation time, intraoperative hemorrhage, postoperative drainage at 72 hours, postoperative drainage duration, lung re-expansion duration, and therapeutic efficacy of the group without pleural fusion were better than the group with pleural fusion(all P<0.05). The group with <7 intercostal spaces had fewer cases of anemia, hypoproteinemia, abnormal elevation of ESR and CRP (all P<0.01), the period of preoperative treatment was longer, the operation time, intraoperative hemorrhage, postoperative drainage at 72 hours,postoperative drainage duration, lung re-expansion duration and complications were less (all P<0.05), the therapeutic efficacy was better than the group with ≥7 intercostal spaces (χ²=27.912, P<0.01). The Logistic regression analysis of cured and improved cases showed that mass-patchy density and lesion size were independent risk factors affecting the therapeutic efficacy (all P<0.05). Conclusions: For patients with CT images showing mass-patchy density, pleural fusion, and a large lesion size, the difficulty and risk of surgery may be relatively high.The preoperative CT images can provide objective reference for clinical preoperative evaluation.