Pulmonary Tuberculosis Diagnosis

Tuberculosis is a worldwide problem. Despite the fact that the methods of prevention as well as treatment of this disease have been widely publicized across the globe, this disease still kills significant numbers of people all over the world, primarily in less-developed nations in Africa, South America, and Asia. Poverty as well as HIV are factors contributing to the persistence of this disease. Many methods exist to diagnose pulmonary tuberculosis.

Definition

• Tuberculosis (often abbreviated as TB, an acronym that stands for Tubercle Bacillus) is a disease that affects the human lungs. This disease creates internal sores inside the lungs of the affected person. This causes frequent coughs, and blood may be visible in cough and sputum. Most cases of tuberculosis are reported in developing nations in Asia, Africa and South America. It is caused by a mycobacterium. lthough this disease primarily affects the lungs, it can also spread to other organs of the body.

How Tuberculosis Infection Spreads

• As already indicated, this disease is caused by common bacteria called mycobacterium tuberculosis. A person can be infected simply by breathing air droplets sneezed out by an already infected person. The dangerous part of TB is that the disease may stay in a dormant stage inside the human body for many years. The infected individual may not even have any idea that he has caught this disease. In other instances, TB may become active in some individuals within a few weeks of their being infected.

Pulmonary Tuberculosis Diagnosis

• A biopsy is when a piece of tissue of the affected parts of the body is removed. Usually the surgeon inserts a needle using a hollow tube to collect a tissue specimen. At times, open biopsies are used, which involves surgery with the use of anaesthesia. Once the tissue is collected, it is then examined and analyzed. TB infection is identified through a positive reading, and proper treatment is then administered.

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X-Ray Technology

• X-rays are also used in diagnosing pulmonary tuberculosis. The process uses electromagnetic radiation through the use of machines dispatching X-ray particles known as photons. The X-ray images of the affected parts such as the lungs are then relayed to a screen and photographed. Doctors then look for TB signs and make a proper diagnosis.

CT Scan

• A chest CT scan can also diagnose TB conditions. The person being evaluated lies down on a narrow table-like structure. This structure then slides through the CT scanner. The structure advances slowly through the center of the CT scanner. A photographic image of the chest region as well as the lung region is recorded. Doctors can use such images to evaluate the individual for TB infections.

Bronchoscopy

• Pulmonary tuberculosis is also diagnosed through the bronchoscopy method. A bronchoscopy device is inserted into the lungs, through the use of a flexible or rigid tube. The tube is inserted through the mouth or the nose into the lungs. The procedure is performed with general anaesthesia. Once the tube reaches the lungs, doctors can see through the inserted tube and visually examine the lungs for TB infection.