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Is Mantoux Test Believable For TB Test ?
I have recently been diagnosed with latent tb. I had a mantoux test done 6weeks ago which was very positive. I have seen a chest physcian who started treatment, I have no symptoms of disease. My diagnosis is based on a single mantoux test, is this right? My reaction is 3x4cm, and still growing. It has formed an ulcerating abcess, which produces pus and shows no signs of improving evan after 6 weeks. Swabs showed no bacterial infection. I am on rifampicin and isoniazid at present. O have looked on the Internet to see if anyone else has had a similar reaction but found none, and my gp is also unsure about the abcess. Has anyone heard of such abcess formation after a mantoux? Will it heal byitself?
posted on
Sun, 6 Mar 2011
Medically reviewed by
Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team
Sun, 6 Mar 2011
Answered on
Sun, 6 Mar 2011
Last reviewed on
Dear
Welcome to healthcaremagic
You must have done some other test of Chest xray, Blood test and mantoux test. There may be other relevant examination too. So the mantoux test must be positive including your xray and blood report. You must be in antibiotic therapy for some month, either from 7-9 month therapy .thereis nothing to worry about ther swabs.
Thanks
Welcome to healthcaremagic
You must have done some other test of Chest xray, Blood test and mantoux test. There may be other relevant examination too. So the mantoux test must be positive including your xray and blood report. You must be in antibiotic therapy for some month, either from 7-9 month therapy .thereis nothing to worry about ther swabs.
Thanks
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hello dear, ur montoux is positive which shows, u have TB.About the abscess, is it in the cervical region(neck), then it is very common in TB.Just complete ur course of antibiotics and u will get cured.
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Anonymous's Response
Anonymous's
Response
The abcess is were the mantoux test was done. I've had a normal chest xray and normal bloods, just the mantoux was positive.
hi greetings from health care magic
A positive TB test does not necessarily mean that a person has tuberculosis. There are several factors that can produce a false-positive TB skin test (TST) reaction. Although there are other, less common species within the same genus that can also cause TB, there are many other species of Mycobacterium that do not cause tuberculosis at all. A person who has been infected with another member of this genus may falsely test positive, since the PDD antigen used in the TB injection is common to other nontuberculous Mycobacteria.
A positive TB test does not necessarily mean that a person has tuberculosis. There are several factors that can produce a false-positive TB skin test (TST) reaction. Although there are other, less common species within the same genus that can also cause TB, there are many other species of Mycobacterium that do not cause tuberculosis at all. A person who has been infected with another member of this genus may falsely test positive, since the PDD antigen used in the TB injection is common to other nontuberculous Mycobacteria.
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Hi. An abcess in the Mantoux test area is not uncommon, only thing is it is taking more time to heal as becuase you are in an immunocompromised state. Good news is that the swabs show no growth. Please follow the Anti tubercular regime given to you religiously otherwise you might develop drug resistant TB which is dangerous. IT is curable if you take all the medicines in time and as suggested.
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