Publication
Title
Diagnostic accuracy of clinical and microbiological signs in patients with skin lesions resembling Buruli Ulcer in an endemic region
Author
Abstract
Background. The diagnosis of the neglected tropical skin and soft tissue disease Buruli ulcer (BU) is made on clinical and epidemiological grounds, after which treatment with BU-specific antibiotics is initiated empirically. Given the current decline in BU incidence, clinical expertise in the recognition of BU is likely to wane and laboratory confirmation of BU becomes increasingly important. We therefore aimed to determine the diagnostic accuracy of clinical signs and microbiological tests in patients presenting with lesions clinically compatible with BU. Methods. A total of 227 consecutive patients were recruited in southern Benin and evaluated by clinical diagnosis, direct smear examination (DSE), polymerase chain reaction (PCR), culture, and histopathology. In the absence of a gold standard, the final diagnosis in each patient was made using an expert panel approach. We estimated the accuracy of each test in comparison to the final diagnosis and evaluated the performance of 3 diagnostic algorithms. Results. Among the 205 patients with complete data, the attending clinicians recognized BU with a sensitivity of 92% (95% confidence interval [CI], 85%-96%), which was higher than the sensitivity of any of the laboratory tests. However, 14% (95% CI, 7%-24%) of patients not suspected to have BU at diagnosis were classified as BU by the expert panel. The specificities of all diagnostics were high (>= 91%). All diagnostic algorithms had similar performances. Conclusions. A broader clinical suspicion should be recommended to reduce missed BU diagnoses. Taking into consideration diagnostic accuracy, time to results, cost-effectiveness, and clinical generalizability, a stepwise diagnostic approach reserving PCR to DSE-negative patients performed best.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Clinical infectious diseases. - Chicago, Ill.
Publication
Chicago, Ill. : 2018
ISSN
1058-4838
DOI
10.1093/CID/CIY197
Volume/pages
67 :6 (2018) , p. 827-834
ISI
000443547600008
Pubmed ID
29538642
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (open access)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Project info
INTERRUPTB: Estimating the effective reproductive rate of M. tuberculosis from changes in molecular clustering rates, to measure the impact of public health interventions on TB transmission
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 08.10.2018
Last edited 02.10.2024
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