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LETTER TO THE EDITOR |
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Year : 2014 | Volume
: 7
| Issue : 4 | Page : 534 |
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Authors' Response
Kaushik Saha, Mrinmoy Mitra, Arnab Saha, Pratik Barma
Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Burdwan Medical College, Burdwan, West Bengal, India
Date of Web Publication | 25-Jun-2014 |
Correspondence Address: Kaushik Saha Rabindra Pally, 1st Lane, P.O. Nimta, Kolkata - 700 049, West Bengal India
Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None | Check |
How to cite this article: Saha K, Mitra M, Saha A, Barma P. Authors' Response. Med J DY Patil Univ 2014;7:534 |
Sir,
We thank the authors for their interest in our publication on primary nasal tuberculosis following blunt trauma nose. [1] Authors correctly pointed out the importance of mentioning the history of exposure to active tuberculosis cases. We confirmed the diagnosis of tuberculosis in our case by demonstrating caseating granuloma and did not overburden the patient by performing a PCR test for M. tuberculosis (MTB) as the diagnosis is already confirmed. Patients with nasal tuberculosis typically have much lower bacterial counts compared with those of cavitary pulmonary disease; therefore, the main problem in performing nasal tuberculosis is that smears for acid fast bacilli, PCR and cultures occasionally becomes positive, and for the same reason it is rarely infectious contagious. [2] But, in cases where biopsy could not be performed or inconclusive, PCR or MTB culture may help to establish the diagnosis, as indicated by the author.
References | | |
1. | Saha K, Mitra M, Saha A, Barma P. Primary nasal tuberculosis following blunt trauma nose. Med J DY Patil Univ 2014;7:50-2. |
2. | Goguen LA, Karmody CS. Nasal tuberculosis. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 1995;113:131-5. |
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