Affiliations 

  • 1 Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Int J Mycobacteriol, 2020 6 1;9(2):107-115.
PMID: 32474531 DOI: 10.4103/ijmy.ijmy_207_19

Abstract

To achieve the World Health Organization end TB Strategy, early detection, and prompt treatment of not only pulmonary but also extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) should be achieved. The most common EPTB is tuberculous lymphadenitis, and the diagnosis is typically time-consuming. This review aimed to identify the best diagnostic pathway for preventing treatment delay and thus further complications. A systematic keyword search was done using four databases and other relevant publications and using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses flowchart to search for relevant articles that met the inclusion criteria. The quality of the articles was assessed using Newcastle-Ottawa Scale, and the articles were summarized based on the test for diagnosing tuberculous lymphadenitis. A total of ten articles were included for the synthesis of results, which compared the sensitivity and specificity of each diagnostic test for tuberculous lymphadenitis. The most promising test is the Xpert Mycobacterium tuberculosis/RIF, which has high sensitivity and specificity, but costs much more in comparison to the other tests. An ideal diagnostic method should include the combination of relevant patient history, clinical examination, and laboratory and radiological testing to avoid delays in treatment, misdiagnosis, and further complications.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.