Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major health problem, with extensive research on case detection and treatment outcome. However, little is known about what happens after treatment completion.

In the First International Symposium on post-TB lung health (2020), the term post-TB lung disease (PTLD) was created to describe chronic respiratory abnormality, with or without symptoms, attributable at least in part to previous TB.

This study aimed to evaluate the burden of PTLD in a real-life setting.

Methods: Retrospective observational study of patients who completed treatment for drug-susceptible pulmonary TB between 2015 and 2021. Data at time of diagnosis as well as clinical, radiological and lung function (LF) evaluations after treatment were analyzed.

Results: Of the 91 patients included, 72 (79%) were male, 48 (53%) were smokers and had a mean age of 47 years.

84 (92%) patients maintained some degree of radiological abnormalities (n=56 fibrotic changes, n=31 bronchiectasis, n=31 nodules, n=15 residual cavities, n=14 pleural thickening). Absence of sequelae was associated with younger age (p=0.021) and localized disease (p=0.034).

Respiratory symptoms were present in 37 (41%) patients. LF tests were performed in 19 (21%) patients, of which 15 (79%) were altered (n=10 obstruction, n=1 restriction, n=9 low DLCO). There were no statistically significant differences associated with maintaining symptoms or LFT changes.

Conclusion: Although the majority of patients had structural lung disease, only a few underwent LF tests. When performed, functional impairment was frequent suggesting that we might only be aware of the tip of the iceberg of PTLD. It is therefore essential that patients are comprehensively evaluated after treatment.