New Laboratory Techniques for the Diagnosis of Tuberculosis

New diagnostic tools for active and latent tuberculosis have been proposed in the last decades, but real progress in disease management is still lacking. Many recent reviews have addressed the subject, with special interest in comparing the performance of the different methods. In this chapter, some of the new strategies that are currently in the market will be discussed. Presented will be the principles underlying those strategies, and stress their present value in the diagnosis of pediatric tuberculosis disease. Combining methods maybe necessary to address the diagnosis of tuberculosis in its multiplicity of forms, while the testing of different combinations might yield promising diagnostic trees that could be used with the necessary accuracy and reproducibility in the field.

Keywords: Tuberculosis Control, Early Diagnosis, Treatment Decision, Children.