[Current panorama in the diagnosis of cutaneous tuberculosis].
Pulmonary and cutaneous tuberculosis are caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. According to data from the World Health Organization, there are around 8 million new cases per year.The incidence of cutaneous tuberculosis has risen in parallel with that of pulmonary tuberculosis, and coinfection by M tuberculosis and human immunodeficiency virus is considered to be one of the main causes. Current diagnostic methods for pulmonary and extrapulmonary tuberculosis are far from perfect, leading to a delay in starting appropriate therapy.We present a review of these diagnostic methods and of their use in the cutaneous forms. In conclusion,histopathologic findings and isolation of M tuberculosis in cultures of biopsy material or by polymerase chain reaction are the most useful diagnostic tools in cutaneous tuberculosis.
Almaguer-Chávez
J
J
Departamento de Dermatología, Hospital Universitario Dr. José Eleuterio González, UANL, Monterrey, México.
Ocampo-Candiani
J
J
Rendón
A
A
D006801:Humans; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014382:Tuberculosis, Cutaneous / Q000175:diagnosis*