Polymerase Chain Reaction

Dangerous Errors in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Bony Tuberculosis by Dr. med. Alexander Herzog in volume 36/20090

The article very well written and clinically important, but why did the author not mention the option of using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) as a diagnostic tool? PCR is not a universal diagnostic miracle weapon, but when it works it does so within just a few days and is highly specific. Another advantage is that it can be performed using minimal volumes of aspirates, etc. Even if the procedure was not used in the specific case presented in the article it should have been evaluated in the discussion. The same holds true for both the disease and the test: They need to be borne in mind.
DOI: 10.3238/arztebl.2010.0147a

Dr. med. Christof Birkenmaier
Klinikum Großhadern der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität
Marchioninistr. 15
81377 München, Germany
[e-mail]

References

1. Herzog A: Case report: dangerous errors in the diagnosis and treatment of bony tuberculosis [Gefährliche Fehler in Diagnostik und Therapie einer Knochentuberkulose]. Dtsch Arztebl Int 2009; 106(36): 573–7.