Title:A Review on Nuclear Imaging as a Promising Modality for Efficient Diagnosis of Tuberculosis
Volume: 18
Author(s): Asma Rafique, Rashid Rasheed, Saba Shamim, Munazza Ijaz and Ghulam Murtaza*
Affiliation:
- Department of Pharmacy, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus 54000, Pakistan
Keywords:
Diagnostics, latent tuberculosis, multiple drug-resistant tuberculosis, nuclear medicine, single-photon emission computed tomography, positron emission tomography.
Abstract: Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease, which has been declared as a global health issue
by the World Health Organization in 1993. Due to the complex pathophysiology of Mycobacterium
tuberculosis, it remains a global threat. This article reviews the conventional diagnostic modalities
for tuberculosis, their limitations to detect latent TB, multiple drug resistant-TB, human immunodeficiency
virus co-infected TB lesions, and TB in children. Moreover, this review illustrates
the importance of nuclear medicine imaging for early, non-invasive diagnosis of TB, to detect disease
stages and to monitor therapy response. Single-photon emission computed tomography and
positron emission tomography with their particular radionuclides are now extensively being used
for a thorough assessment of TB.