On Aerobic and Anaerobic Bacteria of the Resected Lung and the Autopsy Lesions in Pulmonary Tuberculosis and Other Lung Diseases

• Published in: The Japanese journal of thoracic diseases Vol. 9; no. 1; pp. 1 - 10
• Main Authors: Matsui, Koichi, Yamashita, Hideaki, Yoshie, Satoko
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Japanese
• Published: The Japanese Respiratory Society 1971; 社団法人 日本呼吸器学会
• ISSN: 0301-1542; 1883-471X
• DOI: 10.11389/jjrs1963.9.1

The role or bacteria playing in secondary infections of respiratory diseases has been evidently attracting clinical attentions. Bacteriological examination of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria was proceeded in 45 autopsy specimens of pulmonary tuberculosis, 115 resected specimens of lung cancer, 4 resected specimens of pulmonary suppuration, and 12 resected specimens of bronchiectasis in the past 4 years. Anaerobic bacteria were detected in 20% of resected foci of pulmonary tuberculosis and of lung cancer. Anaerobic corynebacterium was most frequently observed. And the cases with a large amount of the bacteria showed the same bacteria in their tissues and revealed chronic inflammation. As for aerobic bacteria, they were detectable less than 5% of the specimens and usally consisted of normal flora in the upper air tract. In the cases of pulmonary suppuration, anaerobic corynebacterium was found in 3 cases of 4 and its' pathogenecity was confirmed. In the cases where coexistence of tubercle bacilli was recognized, pathohistologic findings revealed insignificant participation of anaerobic bacteria. In the resected specimens of bronchiectasis, detectability of bacteria was 33.3%. In the autopsy materials of pulmonary tuberculosis and those of lung cancer, detected aerobic bacteria consisted of almost equal amount of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria and smaller amount of anaerobic bacteria was to be observed. Among the aerobic bacteria, pneumococcus was hardly detected and staph. aureus was rather frequently observed. Certain gram-negative bacilli, e. g., pseud. aeruginosa were direct cause of death in some cases as they would not respond to present chemotherapy.