Abstract: Objective To explore the clinical effect of ultrasound-guided percutaneous conductance chemotherapy in the treatment of patients with cavity pulmonary tuberculosis (TB).  Methods One hundred and eighty smear and (or) culture positive retreatment pulmonary TB patients with cavity lesions who were diagnosed in Xi’an Tuberculosis and Thoracic Tumor Hospital from December 2011 to August 2012 were enrolled in this study. They were randomly divided into two anti-TB chemotherapy groups: oral administration combined with ultrasound-guided percutaneous conductance (study group, 92 cases) and oral administration only (control group, 91 cases). The treatment regimen for all patients in both groups was same (2HRZES/6HRE). The following indicators were observed and recorded respectively at 3 time-points (1 month, 3 months and 6 months of treatment): improvement of symptoms, sputum conversion rate, rate of lesion shrink, rate of cavity shrink, as well as appearance of complications and adverse reaction. Results In the study group, the sputum conversion rates were 50.00%（45/90）, 66.67%（60/90） and 83.33%（75/90） respectively at the end of 1 month, 3 months and 6 month of treatment, which were significantly higher than those in the control group (31.11%, 28/90；40.00%，36/90 and 52.22%， 47/90; χ²=6.660, 12.857 and 19.943, P≤0.01). The effective rates of treatment (lesion and (or) cavity shrink) in the study group were 40.00%（36/90）, 50.00%（45/90） and 83.33%（75/90） respectively at 3 time-points, which were significantly higher than those in the control group (15.56% (14/90), 31.11% (28/90) and 50.00% (45/90); χ²=13.460, 8.149 and 22.540, P<0.01). There was no significant difference in the complication and adverse reaction between study (10.00%, 9/90) and control groups (14.44%, 13/90) (χ²=0.829, P=0.363). Conclusion The sputum conversion rate of pulmonary TB patients can be improved by using chemotherapy combined with percutaneous ultrasound-guided conductivity. It is a safe, effective and new route of administration on TB treatment.

Key words: Tuberculosis, pulmonary/drug therapy, Phonophoresis, Evaluation study