Diagnostic Accuracy of Polymerase Chain Reaction for Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Using EBUS-TBNA Samples

The purpose of this study is to compare the diagnostic efficacy of nested and realtime polymerase chain reaction for Mycobacterium tuberculosis using EBUS-TBNA samples in patients with isolated intrathoracic lymphadenopathy.

Although endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) has been widely used to perform mediastinal lymph node sampling, little information is available on polymerase chain reaction for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB-PCR) using EBUS-TBNA samples in patients with isolated intrathoracic lymphadenopathy. In addition, two methods of TB-PCR (nested PCR and realtime PCR) are available for the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and which method is superior for detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis has not been established in patients with isolated intrathoracic lymphadenopathy.

Thus, this study was design to compare the diagnostic efficacy of nested and realtime TB-PCR using EBUS-TBNA samples in patients with isolated intrathoracic lymphadenopathy in South Korea, where the incidence of tuberculosis is intermediate (97/100,000 per year).