DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2019.v07i01.013

Pages: 79-82

Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) remains a key challenge in the face of global public health and inadequate diagnostic assays have hampered our chances to tackle this disease effectively. The Gene X-pert MTB/RIF assay marks an important development in the field of rapid molecular TB diagnostics. This study was done to see the prevalence of gene Xpert MTB/RIF assay and drug resistant tuberculosis in extrapulmonary tuberculosis. Material and methods: The 300 samples of extra-pulmonary tuberculosis constituting pleural fluid, pus, CSF, lymph tissue, peritoneal fluid diagnosed on the basis of clinico radiological and/or histopathological findings were sent for gene Xpert MTB/RIF. Results: Maximum number of patients in our study are tubercular pleural effusion (67.7%) followed by tubercular lymphadenitis, empyema, Cerebrospinal fluid, ascitic fluid and pericardial fluid. Mtb had been detected in pleural effusion (13.8%), lymphadenitis (60.3%), empyema (44.4%) and ascitic fluid (11.1%). 16.7% cases were diagnosed as multi drug resistant –extrapulmonary tuberculosis (MDR-EPTB). Conclusion: Gene Xpert assays a more sensitive technique as compared to conventional methods. The Gene X-pert MTB/RIF assay marks an important development in the field of rapid molecular TB diagnostics.