What is the diagnostic yield of bronchoscopy in patients with tuberculous pleural effusion?

Tuberculosis is considered a multisystemic disease as it can attack different organs not only lungs. TB results in high morbidity and mortality .Tubercular pleural effusion belongs to extrapulmonary TB .Examination of Ziehl-Neelsen stained smears of pleural fluid rarely detect Acid and alcohol fast bacilli. Study was established to assess the diagnostic yield of fibreoptic bronchoscopy in patients of smear negative tubercular pleural effusion. This was a retrospective study included 20 patients already diagnosed with tubercular pleural effusion. Studied patients” diagnosis was reached by pleural biopsy whether thoracoscopic or US guided . All studied patients had Flexible fibreoptic bronchoscopy done and bronchoalveolar lavage was stained by Z-N staining for AFB . The diagnostic yield of Bronchoalveolar lavage was 35% of studied cases. Sensitivity of BAL staining in comparison to culture of pleural biopsy was 54.55%, specificity was 88.89%.: Positive predictive value was 85.71, Negative predictive value was 61.54. Accuracy was 70%. Flexible fibreoptic bronchoscopy is very safe and easy tool in increasing bacteriological yield of patients with tubercular pleural effusion.