Mantoux Test results on me and my GF?!
Question: My GF took a chest x-ray and the doctors found a spot on her lungs that could indicate TB. So they did a Mantoux test on her. Even during the 3 day gap, we were very intimate and did not take any precautions to stop me from being "infected". When her Mantoux turned out positive, I took the test myself. However when I got the results it was negative!
Was this a false negative? Im not taking any medication (except for vitamins), dont have a history of TB, no recent vaccinations and currently healthy.
Does this mean my GF may not have TB and her result was a false positive? Or is she just not contagious (although the doctor said she could be contagious)?
Or is it possible that I was infected during the 3 day interval, that I was infected too soon that is why my body did not react to the test yet?
Please help, I dont want my GF to take meds she does not need. Thanks a lot!
Answers: My GF took a chest x-ray and the doctors found a spot on her lungs that could indicate TB. So they did a Mantoux test on her. Even during the 3 day gap, we were very intimate and did not take any precautions to stop me from being "infected". When her Mantoux turned out positive, I took the test myself. However when I got the results it was negative!
Was this a false negative? Im not taking any medication (except for vitamins), dont have a history of TB, no recent vaccinations and currently healthy.
Does this mean my GF may not have TB and her result was a false positive? Or is she just not contagious (although the doctor said she could be contagious)?
Or is it possible that I was infected during the 3 day interval, that I was infected too soon that is why my body did not react to the test yet?
Please help, I dont want my GF to take meds she does not need. Thanks a lot!
A positive TB test by itself only means exposure to TB, not necessarily TB infection.
A positive TB test plus X-ray evidence of TB usually means that the person currently has TB infection or has had TB infection in the past. A sputum sample is also needed to confirm the diagnosis.
Rely on the doctor to diagnose your gf. I don't blame you for wanting to make sure the meds are absolutely necessary. The doctor will likely have her give a sputum sample for testing. That test will determine if she has TB.
The doctor will also have you take another TB test in the future. You may get a positive result, but remember that a positive TB test by itself only means that you have been exposed to TB. It takes an X-ray and sputum sample to determine if you have TB infection.
If all her tests indicate TB, then she probably is contagious.
Having a positive mantoux test does not mean you have TB, it does mean that you have been exposed to TB at some point. A node on a chest x-ray does not mean that you have TB, many things cause the appearance of 'nodes' in the lungs besides TB. ie calcifications/old pneumonia 'scarring'. TB is not an std so I doubt you'd get it from that. More testing will probably be done to determine if she does in fact have TB.