Comprehensive Tuberculosis Testing for the Dermatologist

Tuberculosis remains a noteworthy disease worldwide, rendering detection of latent tuberculosis of great importance. As healthcare workers, dermatologists should be aware of the available testing options and how they compare. In general, the tuberculin skin test has been around longer and, thus, there have been more studies performed on its sensitivity and specificity compared to interferon gamma release assays, which are newer to the market. The tuberculin skin test requires more office visits, takes longer to obtain results, is subject to healthcare worker bias, and can cause a booster phenomenon; whereas, interferon gamma release assays have a higher cost and less data available on their use in children under five years old. Both the tuberculin skin test and interferon gamma release assays fail to differentiate between recent and remote infections, have a low predictive value for active tuberculosis, and a lower sensitivity in people living with human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.