Comparision between conventional acid –fast staining and leds microscopy in the diagnosis of pulmonary and extra-pulmonary tuberculosis

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) continues to be one of the world’s most important infectious causes of morbidity and mortility. The backbone of TB diagnosis worldwide continues to be smear microscopy. For microscopic detection of acid fast bacilli (AFB), fluorescence microscopy (FM) using Auramine staining has been shown to have 10% higher sensitivity compared to routine light microscopy used with Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) staining, without compromising specificity. Objectives: This study is carried out to diagnosis of pulmonary and extra-pulmonary Tuberculosis by Fluorescence microscopy and comparing the smear sensitivity and specificity of conventional Light microscopy with ZN (Gabbet’s method) and FM with LED microscopes. Materials and Methods: About 100 samples were included in the study. These samples belonged to suspected cases of pulmonary and extra-pulmonary Tuberculosis. Samples were stained both by Gabbet’s and Fluorescent staining as per standard protocol. Results: Out of total 100 samples included in the study, 71 were sputum samples and 29 were of other body fluids. Of all, 18 were found to be positive by both FM and ZN staining.25% (4/18)of the samples belong to female patients and 75%(14/18)were from male patients with an incidence rate of who tested positive. Conclusion: Use of FM helped in rapid detection of tubercle bacilli from various body fluids when the organisms were scanty.