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Abstract
Background: A prevalent long-term complication of pulmonary tuberculosis, post-tuberculosis pulmonary fibrosis (PTPF) shares a number of clinical and radiological characteristics with other interstitial lung diseases (ILDs). For proper patient care, it is crucial to distinguish between these disorders accurately. Because of its superior spatial resolution and capacity to show distinctive pulmonary abnormalities, High-Resolution Computed Tomography (HRCT) has emerged as the preferred imaging modality for assessing fibrotic lung disorders.
Objective: To assess how well High-Resolution Computed Tomography (HRCT) uses distinctive radiological characteristics to differentiate Post-Tuberculosis Pulmonary Fibrosis (PTPF) from other Interstitial Lung Diseases (ILDs).
Methods: One hundred individuals with fibrotic lung disease who had an HRCT chest examination participated in a retrospective observational study. The distribution of fibrosis, symmetry, dense scar development, cavitation, fibrotic bands, honeycombing, traction bronchiectasis, ground-glass opacities, calcification, granulomas, and other distinctive imaging features were examined in HRCT pictures. HRCT results were compared between patients with PTPF and other ILDs using descriptive statistics and SPSS data analysis.
Results: Among the 100 patients, 68% were diagnosed with PTPF and 32% with other ILDs. Patients with PTPF predominantly demonstrated upper lobe involvement (61.8%), localized fibrosis (76.5%), asymmetrical disease distribution (75.0%), dense scar formation (70.6%), irregular fibrotic bands (66.2%), and cavitation (47.1%). In contrast, other ILDs more commonly exhibited lower lobe predominance (43.8%), bilateral fibrosis (75.0%), symmetrical distribution (71.9%), and fine reticular fibrosis (75.0%). Mixed fibrotic and post-inflammatory HRCT patterns were the most frequent imaging findings in PTPF, while predominantly fibrotic patterns were more characteristic of other ILDs. The majority of patients were aged 31–50 years (54%), males constituted 59% of the study population, and breathlessness (84%) and cough (86%) were the most common presenting symptoms.
Conclusion: For the purpose of distinguishing Post-Tuberculosis Pulmonary Fibrosis from other Interstitial Lung Diseases, HRCT is a very efficient, dependable, and non-invasive imaging technique.
Upper lobe predominance, localised asymmetrical fibrosis, extensive scarring, cavitation, and post-inflammatory alterations are typical HRCT findings that reduce the need for invasive diagnostic procedures while facilitating correct diagnosis and appropriate therapeutic care.