Abrar Shaikh, Kouro Mal Gurbakhshani, Azizullah Jalbani, Ghulam Yasin, Imdad Ansari.
Results of Tuberculin test in AFB positive patients of tuberculosis compared with age and sex matched healthy controls.
Med Channel Jan ;11(2):78-81.

OBJECTIVE: Study was conducted to see sensitivity and specificity of tuberculin test in our population. DESIGN: Prospective case control study. PLACE AND DURATION: Medical wards and tuberculosis and chest diseases ward Chandka Medical College Hospital Larkana conducted between January 2003 to December 2003. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Forty adult patients with positive acid fast bacilli in any specimen like sputum, cerebrospinal fluid and pleural effusion were selected for study. Forty healthy individuals were taken as control, who were normal clinically and on investigations. RESULTS: Out of forty patients 23 (57.5%) were males and 17 (42.5%) were females. 32 patients of active disease had pulmonary tuberculosis while 08 had extra pulmonary tuberculosis. In extra pulmonary tuberculosis 03 had tuberculous meningitis, 03 had pleural tuberculosis and 02 had tuberculosis lymph adenitis. 27 patients of active tuberculosis had positive tuberculin test, while I6 control were also positive which makes sensitivity 67.5% and 60% of tuberculin test in our population. Out of 8 patients of extra pulmonary tuberculosis, tuberculin test is positive in 04 patients (50%). In our study incidence of positive tuberculin test is decreased with age in patients of tuberculosis, while it is increased with age in normal healthy controls. CONCLUSIONS: With its low sensitivity and specificity tuberculin test has less significant role to play in the diagnosis of tuberculosis in our population.

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