[Clinical significance of a new technique of microscopic visualization in extrapulmonary tuberculosis].
BACKGROUND
The aim of this work was the clinical investigation of a new method of microscopy to improve the sensitivity in the diagnosis of tuberculosis in comparison with the actual conventional technique, without detriment of specificity.


METHODS
A comparative study between Smithwick fluorescence technique and a new technique named big drop fluorescence has been made with a total of 185 clinical samples of extrapulmonary tuberculosis. All samples were carried in parallel with both technique, the Smithwick usually utilized in the majority of laboratories, and a new technique described recently by us, named big drop fluorescence, that use a sample with more concentration and different times of stain, with the same reagents.


RESULTS
A sensitivity of 12.5% and 56.2% respectively was obtained with Smithwick and big drop fluorescence techniques. A specificity of 97.0% with big drop fluorescence and 98.2% with Smithwick was obtained. This improvement of sensibility was very important and the lost of specificity was so little that a statistic difference without both techniques was not observed.


CONCLUSIONS
The new technique named big drop fluorescence (BDF) shows greater sensitivity in the microscopical diagnosis of extrapulmonary tuberculosis.
Casal
M
M
Departamento de Microbiologia Médica, Facultad de Medicina, Córdoba.
Clemente
M J
MJ
D006801:Humans; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D009161:Mycobacterium / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009163:Mycobacterium bovis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014398:Tuberculosis, Renal / Q000175:diagnosis
Interés clínico de una nueva técnica de visualización microscópica en tuberculosis extrapulmonar.