Tuberculin tine test

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Tuberculosis in the kidney

Tuberculosis in the lung

Tuberculin skin test

Overview

Risks

Results

Tuberculin tine test

Alternative Names:

TB tine

What the risks are:

A very small amount of the antigen is injected, so the risks are minimal. Typical reactions include itching and hives. Sometimes, the area may blister. Rarely, the swelling may become very large.

Inform your health care provider if you experience any severe reactions.

Special considerations:

The test may be falsely negative in the elderly and in patients with weakened immune systems, such as the following:

AIDS patients
Cancer patients who are undergoing chemotherapy
Organ transplant recipients
Anyone taking high doses of steroids

Review Date: 7/16/2004
Reviewed By: Daniel Levy, M.D., Ph.D., Infectious Diseases, Greater Baltimore Medical Center, Baltimore, MD. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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