PCR emerging as a promising technique for Diagnosing Urinary Tuberculosis

Urinary Tuberculosis is often difficult to diagnose and many a times the diagnosis is made by exclusion. Urine polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is emerging as a promising technique for early diagnosis of Urinary Tuberculosis. The technique involves detection of bacteria by facilitating rapid amplification of small amounts of a genome sequence, Dr Narmada P Gupta told the Millennium International Urology Congress in India. Presence of even one bacteria can be detected by the PCR technique, he said, elaborating on the advances in genitourinary tuberculosis.

However, in spite of newer methods of investigations like ultrasound and CT scan, intravenous urogram continues to be the key investigation method for the genitourinary tuberculosis.