Abstract

Objective: To determine the rate and clinical and imaging characteristics in patients with AFB (-) pulmonary tuberculosis diagnosed using chest computed tomography (CT) and the GeneXpert MTB test in the Respiratory Department of Thai Nguyen National Hospital in 2023 - 2024. Methods: Description, cross-sectional research design, purposeful sample selection; Select all research objects. Research period 1/2023 to 11/2024. Results: The proportion of patients with suspected AFB pulmonary tuberculosis (-) determined by Genexpert MTB (+) through bronchoalveolar lavage fluid accounted for 73/82 study subjects, of which 73 patients with AFB pulmonary tuberculosis (-) had highest age 73, lowest age 32; The most common age group is 50 - 59, with a very high proportion of men accounting for 87.6%. Clinical characteristics: dry cough in 9.6%; Cough with cloudy phlegm 82.1%; hemoptysis 8.3%. Thin body condition 35.6%, fever 21.9%. Lesion morphology: Heterogeneous opacities: 83.6%; consolidation: 6.8%; nodule 4.1%; millet: 4.1%; Tree-in-bud 5.5%; Bronchiectasis: 31.5%. Location of injury: Upper lobe: 42.5%; Lower lobe 9.6%; Diffuse multiple lobes: 47.9%. Duration of cough and sputum production < 2 weeks 16.4%; over 3 months 30.2%; Pleural tuberculosis: 26.4%; History of treatment for unspecified tuberculosis lung disease within the previous 3 months accounts for a highrate of 35.6%; Patients with a history of alcoholism account for 46.5%; diabetes 5.4%. Conclusion: Genexpert MTB (+) through bronchoalveolar lavage fluid has diagnosed 36.8% of patients with suspected AFB (-) pulmonary tuberculosis, the proportion of male patients is higher than female, patients have similar clinical symptoms. tuberculosis is not high, fluctuating from 8.3% to 50.5% depending on the symptoms, the proportion of patients with atypical CT images of the lungs (single opacified nodule, Tree-in-bud) accounts for 9.6%, the location of the lesion is not high. atypical injury (lower lobe, diffuse) accounts for 57.5%, history related to the disease accounts for the highest rate, history of alcoholism accounts for 46.5%.