Molecular diagnosis of extra-pulmonary tuberculosis from blood specimens among patients attending el-shaab teaching hospital

Background: Tuberculosis prevalence and mortality rates are increasing specially for the CNS infection which is life threatening and when it involves the spine it has the potential to cause serious morbidity, including permanent neurologic deficits and severe deformities and brain tuberculoma usually lead to death. Extra-pulmonary TB accounts for approximately 10% of tuberculous infections Methods: This quantitative descriptive case study hospital based conducted at Elshaab Teaching Hospital National Center for Neurological sciences (NCNS) between August 2009 and November 2010. PCR technique was used to diagnose 121patients suspected to have Pott's disease or brain tuberculomata. A group of healthy people who received BCG vaccine were included in this study as control group. The results: Patients suspected to have brain tuberculoma were sixty three (52.1%), Pott's disease were forty nine (40.5%) and other extrapulmonary tuberculosis were only nine (7.4%).The results of the PCR for M. tuberculosis from blood sample of the121 patients were positive in 60(49.6%) patients. The frequency of positive result found among Pott’s disease was 23.9% (n 29) followed by tuberculoma 21.4% (n 26) & other extra-pulmonary tuberculosis 4.1% (n 5) Recommendations: PCR for M. tuberculosis from blood specimen is recommended for diagnosis of patients suspected to have brain tuberculoma or Pott's disease according to their symptoms and their MRI findings.