Diagnostic Role of Fibreoptic Bronchoscopy in Sputum Smear Negative Pulmonary Tuberculosis
Author(s): Modugula Padmapriya, V Suryanarayana and Raja Amarnath G*
Abstract
The global strategy for Tuberculosis control is prompt diagnosis and treatment of transmissible disease. The mainstay of diagnosis of Pulmonary Tuberculosis is demonstration of AFB in the sputum smears, but not all patients have positive sputum AFB smears despite of clinical and radiological being consistent with Tuberculosis. The prospective, randomized study was designed to study the bronchial washings for microscopy and culture examination for M. tuberculosis and compare with AFB culture of the sputum obtained before bronchoscopy. The Present study focuses on to study the post-bronchoscopy sputum for microscopic examination for acid fast bacilli and to observe if there is any contributory effect to case detection. The present study is done with an aim to verify if the bronchial washings and post bronchoscopic sputum have any additional diagnostic yield in cases of Smear Negative Pulmonary Tuberculosis.