[Polymerase chain reaction and ligase chain reaction in the diagnosis of gynecological tuberculosis].

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and the ligase chain reaction (LCR) were evaluated and compared on 55 gynecological samples collected from women with active gynecological tuberculosis (Group 1), gynecological diseases other than tuberculosis (Group 2), and active tuberculosis elsewhere in the body without evidence for gynecological tuberculosis (Group 3). Acid fast staining and culture of Mycobacteria appeared to be ineffective in all specimens. The sensitivity of both amplification methods was 94.7% (one of the 19 patients with non-tuberculosis). The LCx method showed a very high inhibition by specimens (64.1% of negative samples versus 16.7% for PCR and LCx could be useful tools in the diagnosis of gynecological tuberculosis.