PULMONARY TB

ROLE OF ENDOBRONCHIAL SECRETION’S MICROSCOPY IN THE DIAGNOSIS

Abstract

Objective: To determine the diagnostic yield of microscopy of endobronchial
secretions collected by bronchoscopy in patients who were suspected to have pulmonary TB but their sputum smear
was negative for AFB with ZN staining. Study Design: Descriptive study. Place and Duration of Study: At Military
Hospital Rawalpindi from June 2004 to May 2005. Subjects and Methods: Fifty patients were included in the study.
Convenience sampling technique of non-probability sampling procedure was used for the selection of patients. Only
those patients suspected to have pulmonary TB on clinical grounds, raised ESR and X-rays chest showing pulmonary
infiltrates but sputum smear negative for AFB on a minimum of three examinations were included in the study.
Bronchoscopy of these patients was done, endobronchial secretions taken and sent for microscopy for AFB. Results:
Out of 50 patients, 16(32%) patients were positive for AFB while 34(68%) were negative on endobronchial secretion’s
microscopy. Conclusion: Microscopy of endobronchial secretions collected by bronchoscopy is a useful technique in
the diagnosis of pulmonary TB in patients who are suspected to have pulmonary TB but their sputum smear is negative
for AFB with ZN staining.