[Contribution of the Xpert MTB/RIF to the etiological diagnosis of tuberculous pleurisy].

Introduction: Performance of the Xpert MTB/RIF for the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in pleural liquid is poorly described. The aim of this study was to determine its usefulness for the etiological diagnosis of a tuberculous pleurisy.

Patients And Method: We performed a descriptive cross-sectional study, with analytical design, including all the patients having a unilateral serofibrinous pleurisy, exudative, lymphocytic, and sterile. The diagnosis of pleural tuberculosis was considered based on epidemiological, clinical, paraclinical and therapeutic arguments. The Xpert MTB/RIF of the pleural fluid was carried out among all patients.

Results: Pleural tuberculosis was confirmed in 301 patients. The median age was 32years. Our study has included 217 men (72.1%) with a final sex ratio of 2.6. The cost of the pleural biopsy coupled with histology made it practicable in only 90 patients (29.9%) with a yield of 80%. The Xpert MTB/RIF of the pleural liquid was positive in only 10 patients (3.3% of the cases).

Conclusion: Gene amplification by Xpert MTB/RIF of the pleural liquid is much less effective in establishing the diagnosis of tuberculous pleurisy than pleural biopsy, which remains the gold standard.