What does a mantoux test being positive mean?
Patient: My friend fell down from a flight of stairs in mid 2010. She has a spine injury and now since is pain in her back is getting severe, she went to the doctor. Her mantoux test is positive. What does that mean?? Does it necessarily means that she has TB?? Whatever the case, is it cureable?? It has been a year since she had the accident and her checkup was on July 2011. Please help me out. Doctor: Hi thanks for contacting HCM...Tuberculosis is curable through AKT course of antibiotics....So don't worry about that....But positive mantoux test not always means TB positive ....It could be latent TB infection....If BCG vaccine given then also test can be positive ....Atypical mycobactetia also gives positive reaction....Tuberculin skin test also affected by few factors like....../age/immunity/chronic illness etc...So for tuberculosis confirmation other tests done like chest x ray, sputum examination etc....Consult physician for examination ...Take care