Effect of pulmonary hypertension on outcome of pulmonary tuberculosis

BACKGROUND: This study performed at the National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, Tehran, Iran, aimed to evaluate the effect of concomitant pulmonary hypertension on the outcome of pulmonary tuberculosis. METHODS: New cases of pulmonary tuberculosis were recruited for the study. Pulmonary hypertension was defined as systolic pulmonary arterial pressure ≥35 mm Hg estimated by transthoracic Doppler echocardiography. We assessed the relationship between pulmonary hypertension and mortality during the six-month treatment of tuberculosis. RESULTS: Of 777 new cases of pulmonary tuberculosis, 74 (9.5%) had systolic pulmonary arterial pressure ≥35 mm Hg. Ten of them (13.5%) died during treatment compared to 5% of cases with pulmonary arterial pressure less than 35 mm Hg (p = 0.007). Logistic regression analysis showed that pulmonary hypertension and drug abuse remained independently associated with mortality (OR = 3.1; 95% CI: 1.44–6.75 and OR = 4.4; 95% CI: 2.35–8.17, respectively). CONCLUSION: A significant association was found between mortality and presence of pulmonary hypertension and drug abuse among new cases of pulmonary tuberculosis.