These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Diagnosis of Mycobacterium ulcerans infection (Buruli ulcer) at a treatment centre in Ghana: a retrospective analysis of laboratory results of clinically diagnosed cases.
    Author: Mensah-Quainoo E, Yeboah-Manu D, Asebi C, Patafuor F, Ofori-Adjei D, Junghanss T, Pluschke G.
    Journal: Trop Med Int Health; 2008 Feb; 13(2):191-8. PubMed ID: 18304265.
    Abstract:
    Clinical diagnosis of Mycobacterium ulcerans infection is currently accepted as sufficient basis for treating the disease. Inadequate laboratory resources in the highly endemic areas of Africa often limit possibilities for in-country confirmation of clinical judgement. We analysed records of 99 Buruli ulcer (BU) patients diagnosed clinically and treated surgically at Amasaman Health Centre in Ghana, for whom post-treatment diagnostic laboratory tests were performed. Comparison of clinical diagnoses with test results obtained by an in-country laboratory on samples of excised tissue showed a high specificity of clinical judgement. Among lesions with three laboratory tests (microscopy for acid fast bacilli, culture and IS2404 polymerase chain reaction) done, 94% tested positive at least once and 83% twice. Thus correct clinical diagnosis of BU by well trained health workers is achievable, although the quality of clinical diagnosis should be monitored by intermittent testing in national reference laboratories. However, being retrospective, this study did not permit sensitivity and negative predictive value analysis.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]