Cartridge based nucleic acid amplification test is superior in diagnosing lymphnode tuberculosis.

Area of Science:

• Medical Diagnostics
• Infectious Diseases
• Microbiology

Background:

• Lymph node tuberculosis diagnosis relies on timely and accurate methods to reduce mortality and morbidity.
• Early identification of drug resistance is crucial for effective tuberculosis treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the diagnostic performance of Cartridge-based Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (CBNAAT) for lymph node tuberculosis.
• To compare CBNAAT results with conventional diagnostic methods, including AFB culture.

Main Methods:

• A prospective clinical study involving 101 patients with suspected lymph node tuberculosis.
• CBNAAT was performed on lymph node samples, with results compared against direct smear microscopy, cytology, and AFB culture.

Main Results:

• CBNAAT identified tuberculosis in 73.3% of patients (74 out of 101).
• The test demonstrated high concordance with AFB culture (95.94%) and superior sensitivity compared to other methods.
• Rifampicin resistance was detected in 3 cases.

Conclusions:

• CBNAAT is a rapid and highly sensitive diagnostic tool for lymph node tuberculosis, with a sensitivity of 93.42% and specificity of 86.96%.
• Its performance is comparable to AFB culture, making it a valuable 'rule-in' test for clinical practice.