[Lung diffusion capacity of pulmonary tuberculosis patients].

DLCO, DL/VA, Dm and Vc, lung volumes, capacities and values of a curve representing flux-forced expiration volume relationships were investigated in 159 patients with focal, infiltrative, disseminated and fibrocavernous tuberculosis. A decrease in DLCO was observed in half of the patients with disseminated and fibrocavernous tuberculosis and in less than one/fifth of the patients with focal and infiltrative tuberculosis. The leading factor of a decrease in DLCO in the patients with disseminated and fibrocavernous tuberculosis was the reduction of the lung respiratory surface resulting from a decrease in the effective alveolar volume; the leading factor in infiltrative tuberculosis was a decrease in alveolocapillary membrane permeability. In focal tuberculosis the importance of the above factors in DLCO reduction was approximately the same.