title: The value of routine bronchial aspirate culture at fibreoptic bronchoscopy for the diagnosis of tuberculosis.
abstract: We review the results of bronchial aspirate culture for mycobacteria sent routinely in a series of 1734 fibreoptic bronchoscopic procedures. The incidence of tuberculosis in the series was 8.3% (144 cases). Of these cases, a positive bronchial aspirate culture was obtained in 119 (82.6%) cases, and it was the exclusive means of diagnosis in 64 (44.4%). In 66% of these cases tuberculosis was not suspected at the time of bronchoscopy. Our results suggest that in an area with a high prevalence of tuberculosis, routine bronchial aspirate culture is a useful adjunct to diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Hong Kong.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ip
authors.forename: P Y
authors.initials: PY
authors.lastname: Chau
authors.forename: S Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: So
authors.forename: W K
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Lam
mesh_terms: D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D001999:Bronchoscopy; D005336:Fiber Optic Technology; D006801:Humans; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology*; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology