1Resident, Dept. of Microbiology, Government Medical College, New Civil Hospital, Surat, Gujarat
2Assistant Professor, Dept. of Microbiology, Stem Cell Therapy Institute, New Civil Hospital, Surat, Gujarat, India
3Microbiologist, Government Medical College, New Civil Hospital, Surat, Gujarat
4Ex Professor & HOD, Dept. of Microbiology, Government Medical College, New Civil Hospital, Surat, Gujarat
*Corresponding Author: Email: dr.ullas1357@yahoo.in
Online published on 24 September, 2018.
Extra-pulmonary tuberculosis is a major public health issue with a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in developing countries. Diagnosis is difficult due to various clinical presentations and pauci-bacillary nature. The less number of tubercular bacteria at extra-pulmonary sites may cause diagnostic difficulty demanding for rapid, sensitive and specific test.
It was a 1 year retrospective study in tertiary care hospital. Different extra-pulmonary samples received by laboratory were included in the study. Microscopy by ZN stain, culture on Lowenstein-Jensen media and RT-PCR on ABI 7300 was performed after decontamination of the samples using 4% NaOH and 2.9% sodium citrate.
Total 300 extra-pulmonary samples were tested. 122 samples were positive by either method. Sensitivity of PCR was 59%. ZN microscopy and culture method showed 46% and 48% sensitivity respectively. Tubercular bacilli were isolated were mainly body fluids, pus and endometrial biopsy. The most common age group affected was 20–29 years.
PCR is still a good diagnostic tool for extra-pulmonary tuberculosis even if CBNAAT is available. Even more comparative studies should be done between different molecular methods, so that in future the best option for diagnosis of extrapulmonary tuberculosis without much more false negative results will be available.
Extra pulmonary, Tuberculosis, PCR
