Association between a favourable clinical response to anti-tuberculosis treatment and a positive PCR test for mycobacterium tuberculosis in histologically proven erythema induratum/nodular vasculitis
| dc.contributor.advisor | Sinclair, Werner | |
| dc.contributor.author | Botha, Anton R. | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2017-10-16T08:57:15Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2017-10-16T08:57:15Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2016-02 | |
| dc.description.abstract | Background: Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been used for many years to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) DNA in biopsy tissue of erythema induratum (EI)/nodular vasculitis. Studies to ascertain the association between a positive PCR and clinical response to anti-tuberculosis (TB) therapy are lacking. Objectives: Our aim was to determine the association between a favourable clinical response to anti-TB treatment and a positive PCR for M.tb in histologically proven EI. Methods: Twenty-four cases of histologically proven EI were identified that had been biopsied in our department between 1 January 2009 and 31 December 2014. The response to anti-TB therapy was then determined retrospectively, establishing in which patients the subcutaneous nodules of EI had resolved on treatment. Thereafter the formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue sections were sent for PCR. Results: All patients included in our study received anti-TB treatment. The clinical response was favourable in eighteen patients (75%), no response to treatment was observed in five (20,8%) and in one patient (4,1%), who was lost to follow-up, the response could not be determined. The PCR for M.tb was positive in only one sample (4,1%) whereas the other twenty-three samples (95,8%) had a negative PCR for M.tb. Conclusion: The PCR technique on formalin-fixed tissue remains subject to multiple technical pitfalls. Thus only positive results are meaningful, whilst negative results are inconclusive. | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/11660/7251 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | en_ZA |
| dc.publisher | University of the Free State | en_ZA |
| dc.rights.holder | University of the Free State | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Polymerase chain reaction | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Mycobacterium tuberculosis -- Treatment | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Histology | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Tuberculosis -- Treatment | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Dissertation (M.Med. (Dermatology))--University of the Free State, 2016 | en_ZA |
| dc.title | Association between a favourable clinical response to anti-tuberculosis treatment and a positive PCR test for mycobacterium tuberculosis in histologically proven erythema induratum/nodular vasculitis | en_ZA |
| dc.type | Dissertation | en_ZA |