Diagnosis of lymph node tuberculosis using the GeneXpert MTB/RIF in Tunisia.

Introduction: GeneXpert MTB/RIF is a fully-automated diagnostic molecular test which simultaneously detects tuberculosis (TB) and rifampicin (RIF) drug resistance. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the performance of the GeneXpert MTB/RIF test for the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) in lymph node specimens and to show the place of Mycobacterium bovis as a major cause of TB lymphadenitis.

Material And Methods: This study was conducted simultaneously in the National Reference Laboratory for Mycobacteria of Ariana and the Central Laboratory of Sfax, from January to December 2013.