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. 2019 Mar 23:84:e162-e170.
doi: 10.5114/pjr.2019.84515. eCollection 2019.

Comparison of chest X-ray lesion characteristics of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis and non-tuberculous mycobacterial infection

Ana Majdawati  1 , Aziza Ghanie Icksan  2 , Dina Lolong  3
Affiliations

Comparison of chest X-ray lesion characteristics of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis and non-tuberculous mycobacterial infection

Ana Majdawati et al. Pol J Radiol. .

Abstract

Purpose: This research aimed to compared chest radiographic characteristics of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) and non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) infection, which can be used in early diagnostic screening.

Material and methods: The method of this study was cross-sectional to obtain the relationship between radiographic findings.

Results: Among 538 subjects who were positive for TB during screening, 11 (2.04%) had MDR-TB, 147 (27.32%) had drug-sensitive TB, and 380 (70.63%) had NTM infection. The radiographic findings that correlated with MDR-TB were infiltrates (p = 0.010), cavities (p = 0.021), nodules (p = 0.001), and fibrosis (p = 0.010), with the best predictor of MDR-TB lesions being the presence of a nodule. The lesion locations related to MDR-TB were the upper right and left lung (p = 0.00). There were no specific lesions present in NTM infection (p < 0.05) because almost all had a meaningful correlation (p < 0.05), except the presence of a mass. The lesion location related to NTM infection was the medial aspect of the left lung (p = 0.01), and the lesion extent was also correlated (p < 0.05).

Conclusions: Chest X-ray lesion characteristics of MDR-TB show significant correlation among cavities, nodules, and fibrosis. There were no specific lesions that could differentiate NTM infection from MDR-TB; however, the most common lesion location in NTM infection was the medial aspect of the left lung.

Keywords: Mycobacterium tuberculosis; lesion characteristics; multidrug-resistant tuberculosis; non-tuberculous Mycobacterium; radiographic findings.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors report no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Research scheme of this present study
Figure 2
Figure 2
Chest X-ray images of non-tuberculous mycobacteria lesion (indicated by black arrow). Barcode number: (A) 143137, (B) 124475
Figure 3
Figure 3
Chest X-ray images of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis lesion (indicated by black arrow). Barcode number: (A) 203004, (B) 223046
Figure 4
Figure 4
Chest X-ray of non-tuberculous mycobacteria diagnosis: consolidation and fibrosis in medium lobe of the lung (white arrow). A) Barcode number: 124475 and B) 120143
Figure 5
Figure 5
Chest X-ray of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis diagnosis: nodules (white arrow). Barcode number: 1221317
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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