{Reference Type}: Journal Article
{Title}: Usefulness of Post-bronchoscopy Sputum Culture for Diagnosis of Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Pulmonary Disease.
{Author}: Gu KM;Kang HR;Park J;Kwak N;Yim JJ;
{Journal}: J Korean Med Sci
{Volume}: 36
{Issue}: 31
{Year}: Aug 2021 9
{Factor}: 5.354
{DOI}: 10.3346/jkms.2021.36.e202
{Abstract}: <B>BACKGROUND: </B>Bronchoscopy is recommended for patients with suspected nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease (NTM-PD) whose sputum culture results are consistently negative or from whom adequate sputum samples cannot be obtained. Post-bronchoscopy sputum (PBS) collection is recommended for patients with suspected tuberculosis who undergo bronchoscopy. However, it remains unclear whether PBS collection can increase the diagnostic yield of NTM-PD.<BR><B>METHODS: </B>Patients with suspected NTM-PD who underwent diagnostic bronchoscopy from January 1, 2017 to June 30, 2020 at the Seoul National University Hospital were included in the study. They were divided into the sputum culture-negative and scanty sputum groups. The results of mycobacterial cultures from bronchial washing specimens and PBS were compared between these groups.<BR><B>RESULTS: </B>In total, 141 patients were included in the study; there were 39 and 102 patients in the sputum culture-negative and scanty sputum groups, respectively. Nontuberculous mycobacteria were cultured from bronchial washing specimens collected from 38.3% (54/141) of all patients (30.7% [12/39] patients in the sputum culture-negative group and 41.2% [42/102] patients in the scanty sputum group; P = 0.345). Nontuberculous mycobacteria were exclusively cultured from PBS collected from 3.5% (5/141) of all patients (7.7% [3/39] patients in the sputum culture-negative group and 2.0% [2/102] patients in the scanty sputum group; P = 0.255).<BR><B>CONCLUSIONS: </B>Additional PBS collection improved diagnostic yield marginally in patients with suspected NTM-PD who undergo bronchoscopy.