ABSTRACT
Introduction: India has the highest burden of TB cases inthe world, majority of them are pulmonary tuberculosis.The method of choice for diagnosis of PTB is microscopicexamination of AFB by sputum smear. However, 30 to 50%of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis can have negativesputum report or may not produce sputum. Flexible fibreopticbronchoscopy can provide excellent material for diagnosis forpatients with suspected sputum smear negative pulmonarytuberculosis. Study aimed to evaluate the role of fiberoptic bronchoscopy in sputum smear negative pulmonorytuberculosis.Material and methods: Forty suspected cases of pulmonaryTB with clinical and radiological evidence of tb and sputumsmear negative on 2 occasions were selected for thisprospective nonrandomised observational study. Detailedexamination of the bronchial tree was done and specimensincluding bronchial aspirate and lavage was collected andsend for investigations. Post bronchoscopy sputum (PBS) wasalso collected and sent for smear microscopy.Results: In our study of 40 patients, tuberculosis wasconfirmed in 13 (32.50%) by smear examination of AFB inBroncho alveolar fluid and by post bronchoscopy sputumsmear examination in 3/40 (7.5%) cases. A definitive diagnosisof tuberculosis was possible in 23 (57.5%) of the 40 patientsby AFB culture by BACTEC MGIT960.Conclusion: Fibreoptic bronchoscopy with post bronchoscopysputum,BAL and BAL AFB culture is a useful tool fordiagnosis and can thereby prompt treatment of sputum smearnegative pulmonary tuberculosis patients.