Utility of Rapid On-Site Evaluation during Bronchoscopy in the Diagnosis of Pulmonary Tuberculosis

The diagnostic value of rapid on-site evaluation (ROSE) in bronchoscopy for lung tumors has been widely researched. However, the diagnostic efficacy of ROSE for pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) has not been extensively assessed yet. This study aimed to examine the value of ROSE in diagnosing pulmonary TB during bronchoscopy, and the relationship between ROSE cytology patterns and acid-fast bacilli (AFB) smears and mycobacterial cultures.

A retrospective study was conducted at a single respiratory endoscopy center, including 418 patients under clinical or radiological suspicion of having pulmonary TB who underwent bronchoscopy. In addition to the use of ROSE and definitive cytology, material obtained by aspiration/lavage or brushing was sent for AFB smear and mycobacterial culture. If histopathological examination was required, endobronchial biopsy, transbronchial lung biopsy, and transbronchial needle aspiration were performed at the discretion of the clinician. A composite reference standard (CRS) was used as the diagnostic gold standard for this study. The diagnosis obtained by ROSE was compared with the final diagnosis.

Of the 418 patients studied, 282 (67.5%) were diagnosed on the basis of bronchoscopic findings, as follows: pulmonary TB, in 238 (84.4%); non-TB, in 44 (15.6%). In 238 pulmonary TB patients, ROSE cytology showed granulomas without necrosis were observed in 107 cases, granulomas and necrosis in 51 cases, caseous necrosis only in 25 cases, and nonspecific inflammation in 55 cases. For the diagnosis of TB according to CRS, ROSE showed the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 76.9%, 68.2%, 92.9%, and 35.3%, respectively. The positivity rate for bacterial detection through acid-fast staining and culture during bronchoscopy was 51.7%. The cytological pattern showed a higher detection rate for bacteria in cases of necrosis.

The application of ROSE during bronchoscopy is a straightforward procedure that delivers an immediate and precise assessment regarding the adequacy of collected samples, enabling a preliminary diagnosis of pulmonary TB. ROSE has exhibited a higher sensitivity in detecting pulmonary TB compared to microbiological examinations. In addition, the cytological presentation of ROSE tends to show a higher positivity rate for microbiological testing in caseous necrosis. Therefore, samples with these characteristics should be prioritized for microbiological examination after on-site evaluation.