PREVALENCE AND ROLE OF CBNAAT IN DIAGNOSIS OF TUBERCULAR MENINGITIS

Dilbag Singh*, Amritpal Kaur and Naveen Pandhi

ABSTRACT

Tuberculous meningitis (TBM) is the most severe form of tuberculosis. Microbiological confirmation is rare, and treatment is often delayed, increasing mortality and morbidity. Due to paucibacillary nature of CSF, it is difficult to demonstrate tubercle bacilli by the standard staining procedures which is the gold standard for diagnosis, thus leading to a large number of cases being undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. Meticulous examination of a smear from a large volume of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) remains the most sensitive technique but is not practical in most laboratories. The Xpert MTB/RIF represents a significant advance in the early diagnosis of this devastating condition. So, this study was done with the aim to know the Prevalance and role of CBNAAT in the diagnosis of tubercular meningitis. Out of 50 patients included in the study, 4 were Definite TBM, 31 were probable TB, 12 were possible TBM and 3 were not TBM.Total 15 patients had M. TB detected in their CSF on CBNAAT, out of a total of 47 TBM patients.The sensitivity of CBNAAT in our study was 31%.

Keywords: CBNAAT, GeneXpert, Tubercular meningitis, CSF.