Introduction: Pulmonary pneumatoceles are thin-walled, air-filled cysts that develop within the lung. Most often, they occur as a sequela to acute pneumonia, commonly caused by Staphylococcus aureus, and are found more frequently in infants and young children. Adult tuberculous pulmonary pneumatoceles are seldom reported.
Case presentation: We reported a case of pulmonary tuberculosis with pneumatocele formation after antituberculous treatment. A 41-year-old man presented with fever and productive cough for 3 weeks. Chest X ray revealed cavitary lesions in bilateral upper lobes of the lung. Acid-fast rods were found in sputum and the cultures subsequently yielded Mycobacterium tuberculosis. After antituberculous treatment, obvious pneumatocele formation was noted in the right upper lobe.
Conclusion: The formation of pneumatoceles in adult pulmonary tuberculosis can occur before, during or after antituberculous treatment, and the development of complications of pneumatoceles was variable.