The role of routine culture for tuberculosis during bronchoscopy examination of lung masses.
BACKGROUND
Many centers routinely culture bronchoscopy samples for mycobacteria even when tuberculosis (TB) is not strongly suspected. The value of this practice has hardly been investigated.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this retrospective study was to assess the utility of routine culture of bronchoscopy samples of lung masses for mycobacteria in a region where TB is not endemic.


METHODS
The study group consisted of 168 patients who underwent bronchoscopy for investigation of lung masses in a major tertiary-care, university-affiliated facility in central Israel. The findings on acid-fast bacillus staining and culture were reviewed, and data on demographic characteristics were collected from the files.


RESULTS
There were 97 men (58%) and 71 women with a mean age of 62 +/- 25 years. One culture (0.6%) grew Mycobacterium tuberculosis. There were no cases of positive acid-fast bacillus smear or positive nontuberculous mycobacteria culture. Sixty USD (5.45%) would be saved per patient without clinical suspicion of TB.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings highlight the need to formulate new guidelines for the performance of mycobacterial cultures of bronchoscopy specimens in areas with a low prevalence of TB.
Shitrit
David
D
Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Pulmonary Institute, Rabin Medical Center, Petah Tiqwa, Israel. davariel@zahav.net.il
Dekel
Shlomi
S
Bar-Gil Shitrit
Ariella
A
Kramer
Mordechai R
MR
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000465:Algorithms; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001999:Bronchoscopy; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*