Identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA in Five Different Types of Cutaneous Lesions by the Polymerase Chain Reaction
- 1 December 1993
- journal article
- case report
- Published by American Medical Association (AMA) in Archives of Dermatology
- Vol. 129 (12) , 1594-1598
- https://doi.org/10.1001/archderm.1993.04540010072011
Abstract
Background and Design: A spectrum of skin lesions are believed to be secondary to the presence ofMycobacterium tuberculosis. Demonstration ofM tuberculosisdirectly or in culture in some of these eruptions can be difficult. We used the polymerase chain reaction and a primer/ probe set specifically forM tuberculosiscomplex DNA to evaluate five types of skin lesions clinically considered to represent infection by, or reaction to,M tuberculosis. Observations: Mycobacterium tuberculosisDNA was demonstrated in paraffin-embedded sections of these five cases, representing a variety of clinical and histologic patterns. In two cases,M tuberculosiscould not be demonstrated by routine cultural methods. Conclusion: DNA diagnostic methods such as the polymerase chain reaction can be used to rapidly identify cutaneous lesions produced byM tuberculosis.Keywords
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