The contribution of the radiology and repeated microscopy in the diagnosisof pulmonary tuberculosis in the pneumology service of the Hospital Point G in Bamako

WHO and IUAT-LD recommend repeated microscopy in order to improve the detec tion of contagious cases of pulmonary tuberculosis. Our aim was to determin e the contributions of radiology and microscopy in the diagnosis of pulmona ry tuberculosis. From January 1998 to April 1999 radiography and microscopy were performed f or 275 patients who were admitted to the pneumology service. Pulmonary tuberculosis prevalence was higher among women aged 10 to 29 year s than among men of the same age (p = 10(-6)). 188 (68.4%) women tested pos itive, 49 (17.8%) tested positive at the second microscopy and 1 (0.36%) at the the third. The main radiological lesions were nodules + infiltrats (46 .2%), nodules + infiltrats + cavity (26.2%) and infiltrats + cavity (6.5%). Repeated microscopy significantly increased the proportion of pulmonary tub erculosis cases detected (from a prevalence 68.4% to 86.5%).