Last Updated on June 19, 2022 by Shabnam Sengupta
There is no single test that can confirm tuberculosis. A healthcare professional will begin the diagnosis with a physical examination to check for swelling in the lymph node or conduct a skin test. During this test, tuberculin is injected inside the forearm to check swelling within 48 to 72 hours of needle prick. If a hard bump exists then the professional recommends other tests to confirm tuberculosis.
The next round of testing mostly includes a blood test, imaging tests and sputum tests. If the tuberculosis is in the lungs, the healthcare professional may conduct a chest x-ray or collect a sample of phlegm to confirm the presence of tuberculosis.
If the tuberculosis is not in the lungs but within other parts of the body, then a healthcare professional may recommend a CT scan, MRI scan or ultrasound of the affected part. The healthcare professional may also recommend minimally-invasive methods like endoscopy or laparoscopy to confirm tuberculosis.
The doctor may also suggest a urine test, blood test, biopsy and lumbar puncture of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) to confirm the exact location of tuberculosis. Besides this, the healthcare professionals can also recommend the Mantoux test and Interferon Gamma Release Assay (IGRA) to confirm latent tuberculosis.
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