Chest computed tomography scan as an initial diagnostic method for tuberculosis infection detected by mass screening
- Author:
Dong-Hyun JOO
1
;
Hyun Woo LEE
;
Seo-Young YOON
;
Tae Yun PARK
;
Eun Young HEO
;
Deog Kyeom KIM
;
Hee Soon CHUNG
;
Jung-Kyu LEE
Author Information
- Publication Type:2
- From:The Korean Journal of Internal Medicine 2021;36(6):1410-1419
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Background/Aims:We assessed the diagnostic yield of chest computed tomography (CT) as an initial diagnostic method for patients with a tuberculosis (TB) infection detected by mass screening in a country with an intermediate TB burden.
Methods:A retrospective study was conducted on patients with TB infection detected by mass screening performed between January 2015 and March 2018. The patients were classified according to whether they had a chest X-ray (CXR) or CT scan as an initial diagnostic test to exclude active TB.
Results:Of 542 patients with TB infection detected by mass screening, 222 and 320 were initially examined by CXR and CT, respectively; the two modalities showed no significant difference in rate of detection of patients with active TB (0.9% and 2.5%, respectively; p = 0.110). However, chest CT was associated with further invasive tests using bronchoscopy and respiratory specimens, and significantly increased the frequency of hospital visits.
Conclusions:Chest CT was not supported as an initial diagnostic method to rule out active TB in patients with a TB infection detected by mass screening in a country with an intermediate TB burden.
