Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA using the Polymerase Chain Reaction in Paraffin - embedded Biopsy Specimens of Skin tuberculosis / 대한피부과학회지

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: A presumptive diagnosis of cutaneous tuberculosis can be made on the basis of patients' history, clinical and histologic findings. However, isolation of Mycobacerum tuberculosis is required for a definitive diagnosis and confirmation can be difficult with traditional techniques, including the direct visualization in tissue and growth in culture. OBJECTIVE: We used polymerase chain reaction(PCR) for the detection of mycobacterial DNA from routinely prepared formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded skin specimens to evaluate its usefulness as a diagnostic tool. METHOD: We studied typical cases of localized cutaneous tuberculosis. Ten paraffin-embedded biopsy samples obtained from 2 patients with scrofuloderma, lupus vulgaris and tuberculosis verrucosa cutis were analyzed by PCR, respectively. RESULTS: M. tuerculosis DNA was demonstrated in all 10 specimens. CONCLUSION: This study shows that the PCR will be a useful method for the confirmation of the diagnosis in localized cutaneous tuberculosis and many skin lesions thought to be related to M. tuberculosis infection.