Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex DNA in pericardial fluid, bone marrow and peripheral blood in a patient with pericardial tuberculosis. A case report.
Definitive diagnosis of tuberculous pericarditis requires identification of bacilli in pericardial fluid or tissue. Conventional diagnostic methods are time-consuming and have a low sensitivity making bacteriological confirmation of the disease very difficult. Hereby, we report the case of molecular detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in pericardial fluid, bone marrow and peripheral blood from a 63-year-old woman with pericardial tuberculosis, using a nested PCR assay specific for IS6110 insertion element of M. tuberculosis complex. The patient had an excellent response to a three-drug combination anti-tuberculous regimen and 1 year later was asymptomatic, without evidence of constrictive pericarditis.
Tzoanopoulos
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First Department of Internal Medicine, Democritus University of Thrace, Regional Hospital of Alexandroupolis, 68 100, Alexandroupolis, Greece. tzoanop@otenet.gr
Stakos
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Hatseras
D
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Ritis
K
K
Kartalis
G
G
D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000382:microbiology*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood*; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000382:microbiology; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000235:genetics*; D010490:Pericardial Effusion / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000382:microbiology*; D010495:Pericarditis, Tuberculous / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013997:Time Factors
D004269:DNA, Bacterial