[Comparative study of microscopy by the Ziehl Neelsen method, routine fluorescence microscopy, and fluorescence microscopy using a lumin attachment in the diagnosis of acid-resistant mycobacteria].

The authors present the results of a comparative microscopic study of 502 sputum smears from the patients of the Republican Tuberculosis Dispensary. Sputum smear microscopy with the Ziehl Neelsen (ZN) method and fluorescence microscopy (FM) using a Mikmed 2 (LOMO) microscope and an Olympus SX microscope with a LED Lumin attachment were compared. The latter allows conversion of a light microscope to a fluorescence one. For 2 months sputum was randomly sampled from patients at the moment of diagnosis and from those who were treated at a clinic. A culture study was used as the gold standard, among other things, to calculate the sensitivity and specificity of different microscopy methods. The sensitivity of ZN microscopy, FM on a Mikmed microscope, FM using the Lumin attachment was 28.5, 52.5, and 72.8%, respectively. The Lumin attachment is a inexpensive, portable device that converts practically all models of light microscopes to fluorescence ones. Its life is as long as 25 years, it requires maintenance and both the routine supply line and a Krona storage battery or similar ones, as well as a solar battery may be used as a source of energy.