Comparative Analysis of Induced Sputum and Bronchoscopic Samples in the Diagnosis of Pulmonary Tuberculosis

Abstract

Pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) remains a significant global health burden, particularly among smear-negative cases where conventional sputum-based diagnostics often fail. Induced sputum (IS) and bronchoscopy-based sampling methods such as bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and bronchial wash (BW) have been employed as alternative diagnostic techniques. While induced sputum offers a non-invasive and cost-effective approach, bronchoscopy provides greater diagnostic sensitivity but requires specialized expertise. This study compares these two methods to evaluate their diagnostic yield, sensitivity, specificity, and feasibility in PTB diagnosis.