BACKGROUND Low-dose spiral computed tomography (LDSCT) in comparison to conventional chest X-ray proved to be a highly sensitive method of diagnosing early stage lung cancer. However, centrally located early stage lung tumours remain a diagnostic challenge. We determined the practicability and efficacy of early detection of lung cancer when combining LDSCT and sputum cytology. METHODS Of a co...

Objectives: Sputum acid-fact bacilli (AFB) and Xpert examinations are the most commonly used methods in early diagnosis for pulmonary tuberculosis. It becomes difficult clinician to initiate treatment patients with negative sputum smear at stage of diagnosis. Waiting culture results causes delay increases risk disease transmission. We aimed investigate contribution bronchoscopic lavage (BL) obt...

OBJECTIVES Ever since the discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in 1882, many diagnostic methods have been developed. However "The gold standard" for the diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) is still the demonstration of acid fast Bacilli (AFB) by microscopic examination of smear or bacteriological confirmation by culture method. MATERIALS AND METHODS In suspected 75 patients with active pulmonar...

OBJECTIVE To determine the frequency of single scanty or positive sputum smear results and its impact on the surveillance definition of sputum smear-positive tuberculosis (TB). SETTING Moldova, Mongolia, Uganda and Zimbabwe. METHODS A representative sample of laboratories was selected in each country. Data were double-entered and discordances resolved by rechecking the register. RESULTS T...

The monitoring of airway inflammation has assessed in bronchial asthma directly by sputum examination, and indirectly by measurements in peripheral blood. To investigate the diagnostic value of these two methods, we compared nitric oxide (NO) metabolites, eosinophils, and eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) in sputum and blood in patients with asthma and control subjects. Sputum and serum were ob...

Fabry's disease is a rare inherited metabolic disorder caused by a deficiency in the enzyme alpha-galactosidase A. It can affect almost every organ, including the lungs. Confirmation of lung involvement has depended on invasive bronchial biopsy specimens or brushings to confirm the presence of typical lamellar inclusion bodies within bronchial epithelial cells. We report a patient with known Fa...

It is well known that repeat sputum examination increases the yield of positive cases of pulmonary tuberculosis (Barton, 1958; Chandrasekhar et al, 1970; Nair et al, under print). For the purpose, overnight collected sputum specimens are considered superior to spot specimens (Andrews & Radhakrishna, 1959) though not always (Rao et al, 1966). Practical considerations, however, tend to restrict t...

BACKGROUND Although checking specimen quality upon sputum collection for acid-fast smear of suspected tuberculosis (TB) cases is recommended, this procedure is based on expert opinion. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the impact of sputum gross appearance and volume on smear positivity among patients with suspected pulmonary TB, according to sex. METHODS From November 2010 through J...

The diagnosis and management of three cases of pulmonary alveolar proteinosis are described. The electron microscopic appearances of lung biopsy material, lung washings, and sputum and the value of this method of sputum examination in extremely ill patients are demonstrated. The practical details of controlled volume bronchial lavage are described and the good clinical and physiological respons...