Polymerase chain reaction based detection of<i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i>in tissues showing granulomatous inflammation without demonstrable acid‐fast bacilli

Abstract

These results show that in paucibacillary form of cutaneous tuberculosis with unclassical clinical and histological presentation, this PCR system provides rapid and sensitive detection of M. tuberculosis DNA in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded specimens. Cutaneous tuberculosis represents a significant proportion in specimens showing granulomatous inflammation. In areas like Taiwan, where prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis is still high, tuberculosis verrucosa cutis and lupus vulgaris are common forms of cutaneous tuberculosis and are seen more frequently than atypical mycobacterial infection.