title: Effectiveness of an integrated real-time PCR method for detection of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in smear-negative extrapulmonary samples in an area of low tuberculosis prevalence.
abstract: Early extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) diagnosis is particularly difficult. Among 108 smear-negative extrapulmonary samples showing a positive culture for Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (43 body fluids and 65 nonliquid specimens), 63 (58.3%) were positive with the Xpert MTB/RIF assay (GX). GX sensitivity was quite low for samples from sterile locations (especially for pleural fluids: 26.9%) but high for some nonliquid samples, like abscess aspirates (76.5%). In summary, GX may be a useful tool to be considered for EPTB diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, IDIBELL-Bellvitge Hospital, Spain.
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Moure
authors.forename: Rogelio
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Martín
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Alcaide
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology*