minimal ptb

[jeca08]

hi... i had my medical just last september 2010, and the doctor told me to have a sputum test due to my x-ray result having the remarks of "minimal PTB activity undertimined". The sputum exam result is negative and so the doctor didn't advise any medicine to take. Last week, I again had my medical and the same result occured. "Minimal PTB, activity undertimined" was stated on my x-ray result. The pulmonologist told me that I have a positive TB and he wanted me to have a sputum exam again. But he told me to take a medicine for it. Is is possible to have a TB though your sputum exam was negative? Does x-ray result enough to prove that TB is positive?

[kristine123]

Your always think that you have minimal ptb so that your mind and body react on it.

[vhann]

And I always experience short breathing is this cause of the minimal ptb? I just noticed that after I was being diagnosed it made me don't want to breath is it just in my head?
And when im sleeping I sometimes feel like I stop breathing .please help.

[vhann]

I was diagnosed of "minimal ptb activity undetermined "...the doctor gave me a viramin b+ and fixcom 4 to be taken within 2 months...I finished the medication and had my x ray says normal...my concern is will it leave a scar ??will it appear in my next x ray that I had ptb once??? Please help coz I'm planning to work abroad ...

[Corvin]

Hi,
Is is possible to have a TB though your sputum exam was negative? Yes, about a third the earths population is infected with TB. It's just in a latent inactive phase walled off in a waxy cocoon surrounded by immune cells.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latent_tuberculosis

Does x-ray result enough to prove that TB is positive? Not a single x-ray, but regular infection usually clears up after four weeks if it's totally unchanged after five months and you live in an endemic region it makes TB infection highly likely, and TB has characteristics that are fairly unique on x-ray. It is true though to be 100% sure and to know if it's latent or active you would need to correlate it with clinical presentation, mantoux test or antibody assay, and sputum smear or culture or pcr.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mantoux_test

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ziehl–Neelsen_stain