[Comparison of sputum positive rate between bilateral and unilateral lung tuberculosis].
OBJECTIVE
Comparing sputum smear/culture positive rate between unilateral lung tuberculosis and bilateral ones with similar extent of lesion.


METHODS
Retrospective review of patients' records in the author's hospital from Jan. 1/2002 to Sep. 30/2003.


RESULTS
In unilateral (N=58) and bilateral (N=82) lung tuberculosis of "Gakkai classification" (= chest X-ray classification of lung tuberculosis according to the Japanese Society for Tuberculosis). II 2 (cavitary lung tuberculosis with moderate extent), positive rates of the initial sputum investigation by smear/Ogawa culture/MGIT were, 84.6% vs. 74.0%/ 88.5% vs. 93.2%/93.5% vs. 97.1%, respectively, and no significant difference was found. Similarly, in Gakkai classification III 1 (non-cavitary lung tuberculosis with minimal extent) and in Gakkai classification III 2 (non-cavitary lung tuberculosis with moderate extent), no significant differences were found in sputum bacilli positive rates between unilateral and bilateral lung tuberculosis.


CONCLUSIONS
Sputum smear and culture positive rates of bilateral lung tuberculosis showed no significant differences with that of unilateral one with similar extent.
Department of Research, Research Institute of Tuberculosis, Japan Anti-Tuberculosis Association, Tokyo, Japan. ito@jata.or.jp
Kunihiko
K
Ito
D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000382:microbiology*; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology*; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000382:microbiology*