Laryngeal swabs for diagnosing tuberculosis.
The value of smear and culture of laryngeal swabs as a method of confirming pulmonary tuberculosis was investigated in Indian children. A total of 116 children with 'suspected' tuberculosis had a Mantoux test and chest X-ray. Of these, 51 had a positive Mantoux and/or chest X-ray compatible with tuberculosis, and this group had two laryngeal swabs taken on each of 3 consecutive days. The Mantoux test was positive in 37 (73%) of the 51 'probable' cases. Chest X-ray was abnormal in 36 (71%) cases and compatible with tuberculosis in 20 (39.7%). Mycobacterium tuberculosis was cultured from laryngeal swabs in 14 (28%) children and in another three children smears were positive but culture-negative. The overall confirmation rate for tuberculosis was 33%. Laryngeal swabs are a simple method of confirming tuberculosis and may be undertaken in out-patients.
Thakur
A
A
Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, U.K.
Coulter
J B
JB
Zutshi
K
K
Pande
H K
HK
Sharma
M
M
Banerjee
A
A
Richardson
K
K
Hart
C A
CA
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007830:Larynx / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology*