Comparison of histopathology, acid fast bacillus smear and real-time polymerase chain reaction for detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in anal fistula in 161 patients: A prospective controlled trial.

Objective/background: Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) is a known cause of refractory and recurrent fistula-in-ano. Histopathology of fistula tract and acid fast bacillus (AFB) smear of the pus are the standard procedures employed to diagnose MTB. However, they have some drawbacks.

Nontubercular mycobacteria (NTM) in fistula-in-ano: A new finding and its implications.

Objective/background: Nontubercular mycobacteria (NTM) is not known to be associated with fistula-in-ano.

Methods: A total of 311 consecutive fistula-in-ano patients operated on over 2years were analyzed. The histopathology of fistula-in-ano tract lining was performed in all the cases and other tests [real-time polymerase chain-reaction (RT-PCR), Gene Xpert, mycobacterial culture] were completed in patients with a high index of suspicion of having mycobacterial disease.