RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 P185 Improving The Accuracy Of Microbiological Diagnosis Of Tb Lymphadenitis – Is A Multidisciplinary Approach Necessary?
JF Thorax
JO Thorax
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and British Thoracic Society
SP A157
OP A157
DO 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2014-206260.314
VO 69
IS Suppl 2
A1 A Saigal
A1 HS Kalsi
A1 R Sands
A1 A Jayaratnam
YR 2014
UL http://thorax.bmj.com/content/69/Suppl_2/A157.1.abstract
AB Introduction The gold standard for diagnosing tuberculosis (TB) is from culture of the organism from fluid or tissue. Histological analysis of surgical specimens is well-established, but microbiological analysis is less frequent. Our trust serves a population with a high incidence of TB. Therefore, patients who present with lymphadenopathy should always be considered for a diagnosis of TB and all specimens sent for microbiological and histological diagnosis. Methods A retrospective analysis was undertaken of all patients diagnosed with TB lymphadenitis between 2009–2013 using the London TB Register (LTBR), case notes and laboratory data to identify the proportion diagnosed with microbiology data compared with histology data. Results 324 patients were diagnosed with TB lymphadenitis from LTBR, of which 73% (235/324) had lymph node (LN) specimens taken for microbiological or histological diagnosis. 233 patients had extrathoracic disease alone, of which 62% (144/233) had LN tissue sent for microbiology with 74% yielding a positive culture. 75 patients had intrathoracic disease, of which 31% (23/75) had LN tissue sent for microbiology with 52% yielding a positive culture. In both groups, a greater percentage of LN tissue was sent for histo-cytological analysis than microbiology (see figure). 75% (12/16) of patients with combined extrathoracic and intrathoracic disease had specimens sent for microbiology. 83% (11/16) gained a positive microbiological diagnosis from lymph node sampling. Abstract P185 Table 1 Table demonstrating numbers of patients with TB lymphadenitis having lymph node samples sent for microbiological or histological analysis and diagnostic yield Conclusion Microbiological specimens were more likely to be sent in patients with extrathoracic disease compared to those with intrathoracic disease. This may partly be explained by the fact that all intrathoracic lymph node sampling during this study period was undertaken at other centres, mostly through referrals from the lung cancer MDT. Therefore TB may not have been considered as a possible diagnosis. However, a significant proportion of surgical samples taken locally did not have microbiology specimens sent, which potentially may have impacted on treatment outcomes. This review highlights that more education should be undertaken locally with surgical and radiology departments and the lung MDT, emphasising the need for all lymph node specimens to be sent for both microbiological and histological analysis.