A stepwise approach to the laboratory diagnosis of Buruli ulcer disease.

Objective: In view of technical and financial limitations in areas of endemicity, the current practice and recommendations for the laboratory diagnosis of Buruli ulcer disease (BUD) may have to be reconsidered. We reviewed diagnostic results in order to explore options for a modified, more practicable, cost-effective and timely approach to the laboratory diagnosis of BUD.

Methods: Diagnostic specimens from 161 clinically diagnosed BUD patients from four different treatment centres in Ghana were subjected to laboratory analysis.