title: Diagnosis of tuberculosis: PPD or BCG test.
abstract: In recent years, several articles have been published about BCG tests in the diagnosis of tuberculosis, particularly in children. The test is reportedly more sensitive and more specific than tuberculin test (PPD). We evaluated the results of simultaneous application of PPD and BCG test in order to assess its efficacy in adults and adolescents with tuberculosis (tbc). We applied BCG test and PPD concurrently in 35 healthy controls and 41 tuberculosis cases presented to Research Hospital, Inönü University and Malatya Tuberculosis Dispensary with clinical and radiological findings. The subjects also had sputum examined for presence of acid-fast bacilli (AFB) by direct microscopy, culture on Lowenstein Jensen medium and by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). We conclude that BCG test is more sensitive and more specific than PPD in diagnosis of tuberculosis in adults and adolescents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infection, Faculty of Medicine, Inönü University, Malatya, Turkey.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sönmez
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yakinci
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aladağ
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Evliyaoğlu
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yoloğlu
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Köksal
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009163:Mycobacterium bovis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014373:Tuberculin; D014374:Tuberculin Test / Q000379:methods*; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014421:Turkey
chemical_list: D014373:Tuberculin