Diagnosis and management of patients with tuberculous pleuritis needs a rapid and sensitive diagnostic tool. Our aim was to diagnose cases of tuberculous pleuritis from patients employing ZN smear, culture (LJ & MGIT) and to compare with PCR. Pleural fluid collected from 36 patients with clinical and/or radiological suspicion of TB pleuritis was included in this study. Pleural fluid collected from nine non-tuberculous pleuritis cases was included as negative controls. Pleural fluid samples were analyzed for ZN smear, LJ and automated MGIT culture and results compared with MTB PCR targeting IS6110 region. | Diagnostic role of polymerase chain reaction and inadequacy of mycobacterium growth indicator tube culture in tuberculous pleuritis
