Shadisvaaran Saminathan, Dhanashri Panse and Purushotham Krishnappa
Tuberculosis is a major health issue especially in the developing world leading to chronic morbidity. Early diagnosis and successful treatment is paramount not only to avoid further complications but also to contain the spread of infection in the community. This review discusses the various diagnostic methods which include the conventional methods as well as the newer molecular methods along with their advantages and disadvantages. No particular single test can be qualified as sensitive, reliable, and rapid as well as being cost effective. A combination of tests needs to be performed to ensure a rapid and reliable diagnosis that would enable the clinician to administer an effective treatment.