What are the diagnostic methods for pulmonary tuberculosis?
Disease description:
Recently, I have been coughing constantly without improvement, and I have had a fever for the past few days. My family suspects it might be tuberculosis, so I would like to know what diagnostic methods are available for tuberculosis.
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Ren Yi
The diagnosis of tuberculosis usually requires a combination of medical history, clinical symptoms, physical signs, laboratory tests, and imaging examinations. Below are some commonly used diagnostic methods:
1. Medical history and clinical presentation: The patient will be asked about symptoms such as cough, sputum production, fever, night sweats, and weight loss, as well as any history of exposure to tuberculosis.
2. Imaging examinations: Chest X-ray or CT scan can initially detect whether there are tuberculosis lesions in the lungs, such as increased lung markings, nodular lesions, or cavities.
3. Sputum examination: This includes direct smear acid-fast bacilli staining, sputum culture, and molecular biological testing to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
4. Tuberculin skin test: A skin reaction (redness and swelling) at the injection site after intradermal injection of tuberculin indicates the immune response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
5. Bronchoscopy: For patients whose X-ray and other test results fail to establish a clear diagnosis, doctors may recommend bronchoscopy to directly observe the condition of the trachea and bronchi.
6. Histopathological examination: Pathological examination of biopsy tissue can reveal typical features such as caseous necrosis or granulomatous changes.
7. Blood tests: Non-specific inflammatory markers such as erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP), as well as tests to rule out other possible diseases.
These are the commonly used diagnostic methods for pulmonary tuberculosis. If any discomfort occurs, it is recommended to seek medical attention promptly.
