Post-Tuberkulose-Lungenerkrankung

Post-tuberculosis lung disease (PTLD) encompasses the long-term pulmonary sequelae that may persist after microbiologically and clinically successful treatment of tuberculosis (TB). A formal definition of this condition was established only in 2019. According to current epidemiological data approximately half of all patients who have been treated for TB develop long-term respiratory symptoms and/or measurable impairment of lung function after completion of treatment. With an estimated 155 million TB survivors worldwide, the potential burden of PTLD is substantial. Research on PTLD remains at an early stage and improved characterization of this condition is urgently needed. Distinguishing PTLD from recurrent active TB can be clinically and diagnostically challenging as commonly used molecular assays do not provide information on the viability of the mycobacteria. In addition to TB prevention interventions, such as optimization of TB treatment, pulmonary rehabilitation, surgical management and host-directed therapies are important fields in PTLD-related research. From a public health perspective, integrating PTLD into both individual patient care and programmatic TB services on a solid evidence base is of paramount importance.