Comparative evaluation of Anyplex™ MTB/NTM, Xpert MTB/RIF ultra, culture, and microscopy for the diagnosis of pediatric tuberculosis using gastric aspirates

These data indicate that gastric aspirate microbiology provides only moderate confirmation of paediatric TB in routine practice, and that nucleic acid amplification-based technologies (NAAT) should be used as part of a complementary diagnostic strategy alongside culture and smear microscopy, with culture remaining essential for drug susceptibility testing. Because NAAT platforms were applied in different centre-specific cohorts, the findings should be interpreted as real-world yields rather than a head-to-head comparison, and future work should prioritise standardised sampling and evaluation of non-invasive alternatives (e.g., stool) across age groups.