TABLE 1.

Sensitivities of dry-reagent-based IS2404 PCR and microscopic examination^a

Type of lesion and diagnostic test	Sensitivity (%) (no. of positive results/no. of tested specimens)b				Pc
	Swab	FNA	PB	TS	FNA vs swab	FNA vs PB	FNA vs TS	Swab vs PB
Nonulcerative (n = 37)
PCR	NA	88.9 (32/36)	87.5 (28/32)	NC (3/3)		0.86
Microscopic examination	NA	58.3 (21/36)	55.6 (15/27)	NC (1/2)		0.83
Ulcerative (n = 73)
PCR	75.0 (51/68)	55.6 (40/72)	66.2 (43/65)	30.0 (3/10)	0.02*	0.20	0.13	0.26
Microscopic examination	46.4 (32/69)	22.2 (16/72)	37.5 (18/48)	20.0 (1/5)	<.01*	0.07	0.91	0.34

^aThe diagnostic results for swabs, fine-needle aspirates (FNA), punch biopsy specimens (PB), and surgically excised tissue (TS) from 110 laboratory-confirmed BUD cases presenting with nonulcerative (n = 37) and ulcerative (n = 73) lesions from Ghana (Agogo Presbyterian Hospital, Agroyesum Hospital, Apromase Hospital, and Dunkwa Governmental Hospital) and Togo (Tsévié Regional Hospital) were analyzed. For subgroups with sample sizes of <5, the sensitivity was not calculated (NC). NA, not applicable.

^bThe P values comparing the sensitivities of 2 tests for laboratory diagnosis of BUD (PCR and microscopic examination), stratified into 4 techniques of specimen collection (involving swabs, fine-needle aspirates [FNA], punch biopsy specimens [PB], and surgically excised tissue [TS]), were as follows: for swabs, <0.01 for ulcerative lesions; for FNA, <0.01 for nonulcerative and ulcerative lesions; for PB, <0.01 for nonulcerative and ulcerative lesions; and for TS, 0.68 for ulcerative lesions. P values of <0.05 were considered significant.

^cThe P values comparing the sensitivities of 2 out of 4 techniques of specimen collection (involving swabs, fine-needle aspirates [FNA], punch biopsy specimens [PB], and surgically excised tissue [TS]), stratified into 2 tests for laboratory diagnosis of BUD (PCR and microscopic examination), are given. P values of <0.05 were considered significant (*).