Genexpert technology: A new ray of hope for the diagnosis of tuberculour pericardial effusion

Abstract

Tuberculous pericardial effusion is a well-known complication of tuberculosis (TB). However, the greatest challenge in front of clinicians is its diagnosis as the conventional methods lack the required sensitivity and specificity of detection. The emergence of drug resistance and co-infections such as human immunodeficiency virus further complicates the situation making it difficult to diagnose such cases. GeneXpert technology is a major breakthrough in the field of TB diagnosis and has opened newer avenues for many new molecular tests to be launched in the future. The World Health Organization endorsed this technology in 2010 for rapid and simultaneous detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) and rifampicin (RIF) resistance. GeneXpert-MTB/RIF assay was highly recommended as an initial diagnostic platform in high burden countries for early and quick detection of TB cases. Until date, very few studies have evaluated the performance of this brilliant assay in pericardial effusion cases, thus, more studies are required to address the unanswered questions left so far. Our review attempts to recapitulate the achievements, the potential impacts and the prospective use of this novel technology in early diagnosis of TB, especially focussing pericardial effusion cases.