Not every spot detected on chest X-ray is TB: Expert
This was stated by Dr Surya Kant, chairman of the north zone TB task force and HoD respiratory medicine department at King George’s Medical University.
Chest X-rays help in diagnosing several diseases and some of them might appear like tuberculosis (TB) though not every spot detected by X-rays is TB.
This was stated by Dr Surya Kant, chairman of the north zone TB task force and HoD respiratory medicine department at King George’s Medical University.
He was speaking on the second and concluding day of the 18th pulmonary PG update, a two-day conference organised by KGMU’s respiratory medicine department.
“Not only TB but many other diseases can also be diagnosed from chest X-rays and some of these appear like TB in X-rays. Not every spot detected by X rays is TB as there are many other diseases including lung cancer, interstitial lung disease (ILD), COPD, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), pneumonia, tropical pulmonary eosinophilia (TPE), lung fibrosis, bronchitis. Doctors must keep these aspects in mind while treating their patients,” he said.
Professor Rajiv Garg of KGMU’s respiratory medicine department said: “Lung oscillometry test is an option for those patients who cannot go for spirometry test in which patient needs to pump air into a device. This is more so, as in many cases patients, particularly children and serious patients, fail to correctly do spirometry tests. Lung oscillometry test is helpful in such cases as it uses sound waves to make report while the patient breathes normally.”
Lung oscillometry helps in early detection of asthma, ILD. The facility of oscillometry test is limited but is gradually becoming available at all medical centres, he said.
Dr RAS Kushwaha, Dr Santosh Kumar, Dr. Ajay Verma, Dr. Darshan Bajaj, Dr. Anand Srivastava, Dr. Jyoti Bajpai, Dr. Ankit Katiyar were among those present.
