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. 1977 Mar;5(3):329–331. doi: 10.1128/jcm.5.3.329-331.1977

Smear results in the diagnosis of mycobacterioses using blue light fluorescence microscopy.

H M Pollock, E J Wieman
PMCID: PMC274591  PMID: 404313

Abstract

Examination of 6,880 sputum specimens from untreated patients disclosed that 3.1% were positive for mycobacteria by fluorescence microscopy, and 92.5% of these has positive cultures. There was a positive correlation between the number of organisms seen on smear and growth on culture. All specimens with positive smears and negative cultures contained rare or few acid-fast bacilli on the smear. Eighty-two percent of the specimens with positive cultures and negative smears yielded less than 25 colonies, whereas there were greater than 25 colonies from 93% of the specimens with positive smears and cultures. In a low prevalence, general hospital population, the primary acid-fast smear continued to be a reliable diagnostic tool.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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