Application of PCR for the detection of tubercle bacilli from retropharyngeal and thyroid abscess: case reports

The diagnosis of extra-pulmonary tuberculosis by Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in retro­pharyngeal and thyroid abscess is challenging due to a lack of rapid, sensitive and specific diag­nostic assay. Hence, we evaluated the performance of highly sensitive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect the M. tuberculosis in the retropharyngeal and thyroid abscess. The microscopy and culture were negative test result however; PCR result had demonstrated the presence of M. tuberculosis in the same specimens with retropharyngeal and thyroid abscess. Therefore, it is rec­ommended to perform PCR to detect undiagnosed cases, which were not detected by convention­al approaches for the diagnosis, of extra-pulmonary tuberculosis.