Question on Chest X-RAY Scar

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missymissymissy24@yahoo.com - 01 Sep 2005 01:06 GMT

Hi
for immigration purposes I had Chest x-rays done (4 times in a year)
I was also asked for a TB Sputum Test (3days) which turned out
negative.

Now I landed here, and now I have to ungergo medical surveillance for
inactive Tb. They wanna make sure, that the TB Sputum Testing in my
homecountry was done right.

So I took another Chest X-ray today, and I was asked for Sputum Tests
again.
What worries me, the Doctor said, on my Chest X-ray it shows a scar,
this is why they asked me to take these Tests again. But my Sputum Test
already 3 months ago turned out negative.
So if this one turns out negative, do I have to worry about the scar?
The Doc today said no, but I am worried.
And no I never had TB or any other diseases.
But I had a bad flu two weeks ago.

Should I worry about the scar? Could it be something serious?

Thank you very much

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Howard McCollister - 01 Sep 2005 02:02 GMT

> Hi
> for immigration purposes I had Chest x-rays done (4 times in a year)
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
>
> Should I worry about the scar? Could it be something serious?

Presumably, your TB skin test was positive, and the subsequent chest xray
demonstrated a Gohn complex. In other words inactive TB. They want to test
your sputum to make sure you don't have active TB.

HMc

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David Rind - 01 Sep 2005 02:37 GMT

>>Hi
>>for immigration purposes I had Chest x-rays done (4 times in a year)
[quoted text clipped - 22 lines]
>
> HMc

I'll stay away from the issue of what else the scar might be, since I
think it's hard to give any useful advice about this over the Net.
However, I'll point out that if Dr. McCollister is correct about the
positive TB skin test and evidence on the chest xray of old TB, then the
standard recommendation would be treatment with nine months of isoniazid
to prevent the development of active TB.

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David Rind
drind@caregroup.harvard.edu

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missymissymissy24@yahoo.com - 01 Sep 2005 05:46 GMT

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Howard McCollister - 01 Sep 2005 22:44 GMT

Thnx for ur answers.

But even my Skin Test turned out negative.

The funny thing is, in my homecountry i went to two lung specialists,
and they didn´t see anything on my x-ray. But the immigration docs
do.

Could this scar come from flu or so?

I had a flu two weeks ago and little cough.

Could that show on x-ray too.
----------------

If your skin test is negative, then I can't explain why they're checking
CXRs and sputums so often unless this lesion looks like a TB Gohn Complex,
or your history suggests it, or you're from part of the world where TB is
particularly endemic.

We don't have enough information to say much more than that.

HMc

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fresh~horses - 01 Sep 2005 23:26 GMT

> Thnx for ur answers.
>
[quoted text clipped - 19 lines]
>
> HMc

Would having been vaccinated against TB cause this?

Zee

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David Rind - 01 Sep 2005 23:50 GMT

> Would having been vaccinated against TB cause this?
>
> Zee

No. Being vaccinated with BCG can cause a positive skin test, but will
not cause findings on chest x-ray.

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David Rind
drind@caregroup.harvard.edu

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