MRCP UK EXAMINATIONS

Detailed explanation-1: -The diagnosis of pulmonary TB is definitively established by isolation of M. tuberculosis from a bodily secretion or fluid (eg, culture of sputum, bronchoalveolar lavage, or pleural fluid) or tissue (eg, pleural biopsy or lung biopsy) [5].

Detailed explanation-2: -The Mantoux tuberculin skin test (TST) or the TB blood test can be used to test for M. tuberculosis infection. Additional tests are required to confirm TB disease. The Mantoux tuberculin skin test is performed by injecting a small amount of fluid called tuberculin into the skin in the lower part of the arm.

Detailed explanation-3: -There are two kinds of tests used to detect TB bacteria in the body: the TB skin test (TST) and TB blood tests. A positive TB skin test or TB blood test only tells that a person has been infected with TB bacteria. It does not tell whether the person has latent TB infection (LTBI) or has progressed to TB disease.

Detailed explanation-4: -With pulmonary TB being the most common form of disease, the chest radiograph is useful for diagnosis of TB disease. Chest abnormalities can suggest pulmonary TB disease (Figure 4.4). A posterior-anterior radiograph of the chest is the standard view used for the detection of TB-related chest abnormalities.

Detailed explanation-5: -Pulmonary tuberculosis should be distinguished from other diseases that cause cough, hemoptysis, fever, night sweat, and weight loss such as: bacterial pneumonia, atypical pneumonia, brucellosis, bronchogenic carcinoma, sarcoidosis, and Hodgkin lymphoma.