title: Role of sputum examination for acid fast bacilli in tuberculous pleural effusion.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sputum for acid fast bacilli (AFB) is seldom looked for in the etiological diagnosis of tuberculous pleural effusion usually due to the absence of any parenchymal lesion radiologically, but presence of tubercle bacilli in sputum may have important epidemiological and therapeutic implication.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aims to evaluate the role of sputum examination for AFB in the patients of tuberculous pleural effusion with no apparent lung parenchymal lesion radiologically.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-five consecutive indoor patients of suspected tuberculous pleural effusion having no apparent lung parenchymal lesion on chest radiography were selected for our study. It was a prospective and observational study conducted over a period of 1 year.
  
  
  METHODS
  After confirming the etiology of pleural effusion as tuberculous by biochemical, cytological, histopahtological, and microbiological tests, emphasis was given on sputum examination for AFB by smear examination and culture for Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sputum was bacteriologically (smear and /or culture) positive for tuberculosis in 10 out of 30 cases (33.33%) in which tuberculous etiology was confirmed by histology and /or bacteriology (definite tuberculosis). No sputum AFB (smear and culture) was found in 15 cases of probable tuberculosis where tuberculous etiology was established by indirect methods like Adenosine de aminase level more than 40 unit/l and other relevant investigations. Over all, sputum was bacteriologically smear and/or culture positive in 10 out of 45 cases (22.22%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Careful and thorough sputum examination in cases of tuberculous pleural effusion may help as a diagnostic tool and it has therapeutic and epidemiological implications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chest Medicine, R. G. Kar Medical College, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
authors.forename: Arunabha Datta
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Chaudhuri
authors.forename: Sourin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bhuniya
authors.forename: Sudipta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pandit
authors.forename: Atin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dey
authors.forename: Subhasis
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mukherjee
authors.forename: Pulakesh
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bhanja