Mahwish Rabia, Asma Shabbir, Imran Mahmood, Samiya Naeemullah.
Comparison of mantoux test with diagnostic BCG in paediatric patients with tuberculosis.
J Rawal Med Coll Jan ;15(1):18-20.

Background: Confirmation of diagnosis in children is often cumbersome because of difficulties in obtaining adequate samples for bacteriology. There is great need for rapid, sensitive, specific, cheap and easily performed diagnostic tests for childhood tuberculosis Methods: This study was conducted on one hundred children of either sex, age upto 12 years, suffering from pulmonary tuberculosis. Mantoux test and diagnostic BCG test were carried out on each patient simultaneously. Response of the patient to each test was recorded. Both the tests were compared regarding their positivity. Results: Both Mantoux and BCG tests were found negative in about 1% cases, and positive in about 72% cases. BCG alone was positive in 99% cases and Mantoux alone was positive in 73% cases. BCG was also positive in those 27% cases in which Mantoux was negative. Conclusion: In paediatric age group, diagnostic BCG test has an edge over Mantoux test in diagnosis of tuberculosis.

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