title: Comparisons among the diagnostic methods used for the detection of extra-pulmonary tuberculosis in Bangladesh.
abstract: The present study was an attempt to establish a suitable method for the effective diagnosis of extra-pulmonary tuberculosis in Bangladesh. In this regard, detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from 390 different extra-pulmonary specimens was performed by Bright-Field microscopy, light-emitting diode fluorescence microscopy and Lowenstein-Jensen culture methods, followed by an extensive comparison among these methods. M. tuberculosis was detected in 53 cases through the conventional Lowenstein-Jensen culture method; 49 cases were detected under Bright-Field microscope, whereas the light-emitting diode fluorescence microscopy detected 64 cases. Out of 53 culture-positive isolates, 12 were found to be multi-drug resistant. Light-emitting diode fluorescence microscopy was found to be more sensitive and effective than both the Bright-Field microscopy and the Lowenstein-Jensen culture methods. Incidentally, light-emitting diode fluorescence microscopy appeared imperative to detecting the multi-drug resistant tuberculosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Stamford University Bangladesh, 51 Siddeswari Road, Dhaka 1217, Bangladesh. Electronic address: kishore016@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Saurab Kishore
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Munshi
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Stamford University Bangladesh, 51 Siddeswari Road, Dhaka 1217, Bangladesh. Electronic address: rfarjana_003@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Farjana
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rahman
authors.affiliation: National Tuberculosis Reference Laboratory (NTRL), National Institute of Diseases of Chest and Hospital (NIDCH), Mohakhali, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh. Electronic address: ntrlnidchbd@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Mostofa Kamal
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Stamford University Bangladesh, 51 Siddeswari Road, Dhaka 1217, Bangladesh. Electronic address: noor.rashed@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Rashed
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Noor
keywords: Extra-pulmonary tuberculosis (TB); Light-emitting diode (LED) fluorescence microscopy; Lowenstein–Jensen (L–J) culture