CHEST RADIOGRAPH FINDINGS OF SMEAR POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE PATIENTS WITH PULMONARY TUBERCULOSIS

ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: In this study chest radiograph findings of pulmonary tuberculosis were compared in two groups of smear
positive and smear negative patients
MATERIAL AND METHODS: In this retrospective descriptive analytical study 240 patients who were having confirmed
pulmonary tuberculosis in OPD of Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar. Out of these 240, 64 patients had smear positive
Pulmonary Tuberculosis. Among smear negative patients 64 were selected under similar demographic conditions in
which positive smear patients were seen. All of these were subjected to chest radiographs, reported by two radiologists.
Patients sputa were examined by an expert laboratory technician of Lady Reading Hospital. The obtained data
were compared.
RESULTS: The relative frequency of other radiographic findings in smear positive patients were more than negative
smear patients except reticulonodular pattern.
CONCLUSION: Depending on the outcome of this study, though radiographic findings are not diagnostic in Pulmonary
Tuberculosis. These findings are helpful if the assessment is correlated with clinical manifestation and sputum smear
KEY WORDS: Pulmonary Tuberculosis, Smear Negative, Smear Positive, Chest Radiograph