Patil Shital^1,, Laxman Kasture²

Tuberculosis is the leading cause of cavitation on chest radiograph, more than 90% cases with cavitary lung diseases are because of tuberculosis especially in high burden countries like India. Overall 8-24% of pulmonary tuberculosis cases are having cavitation on chest radiograph. Although no radiological feature is the predictor of tuberculosis, some morphological characteristic features of lung cavitation on chest radiograph will help in predicting active form of pulmonary TB from cured form of disease. In this case report we described a 26 year male, with symptoms of weight loss, fever and cough of 2 months duration, found to have ‘Tennis Racket cavity’ on chest radiograph. We investigated further and found to have sputum smear positive pulmonary TB. We documented therapeutic response to the routine anti tuberculosis (ATT) drugs, and shown complete clinical and radiological recovery. Careful chest radiograph evaluation and interpretation is must in all the cases with respiratory symptoms, high index of suspicion with adequate chest radiology training is key in high burden setting especially in South East Asian region to cut the transmission of disease.

tennis racket cavity, pulmonary tuberculosis, chest radiograph, sputum smear for AFB