Polymerase chain reaction in cutaneous tuberculosis: is it a reliable diagnostic method in paraffin-embedded tissues?
BACKGROUND
Most cutaneous tuberculosis lesions contain few bacilli, so identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in conventional laboratory tests is difficult. In vitro amplification of specific DNA sequences using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has become a valuable tool in the rapid detection of slow-growing organisms like M. tuberculosis.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the presence of M. tuberculosis DNA in cutaneous tuberculosis.


METHODS
Twenty-two archival biopsy specimens diagnosed as cutaneous tuberculosis were investigated for the presence of M. tuberculosis DNA by PCR. Normal skin samples of 29 healthy patients were used as a control.


RESULTS
Amplification of the M. tuberculosis DNA was observed in one of the cutaneous tuberculosis specimens and in a healthy control.


CONCLUSIONS
Although PCR is a rapid diagnostic method, fixation procedures may decrease its sensitivity.
Senturk
Nilgün
N
Department of Dermatology, Ondokuz May's University Medical Faculty, Samsun, Turkey. nilsenturk@yahoo.com
Sahin
Sedef
S
Kocagoz
Tanil
T
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016612:Paraffin Embedding; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014382:Tuberculosis, Cutaneous / Q000235:genetics* / Q000382:microbiology*