Use of flexible bronchoscopy for rapid diagnosis of suspected tubercular cases in rural India

Background: Reaching a correct diagnosis is a challenge for physicians treating any of the 30% to 50% of pulmonary tuberculosis patients who have negative sputum cultures or who present with no sputum.  Flexible bronchoscopy acquires special importance for these cases for whom empirical anti-tuberculosis therapy is the only option left. In our study we aimed to assess the diagnostic yield of flexible bronchoscopy in patients, suspected to have tuberculosis, whose sputum smears were negative. Methodology: In our hospital-based cross-sectional study, 42 patients were enrolled by consecutive sampling. Flexible bronchoscopy and selective bronchial washings were done in all patients.  Results: Bronchoscopy lavage smears were positive for M. tuberculosis in 10 (23.8%) patients. Fifteen (35.7%) patients had positive culture. Conclusion: Flexible bronchoscopy has an important role in the diagnosis of patients suspected to have tuberculosis, whose sputum smears are negative or who can not produce sputum.