Abstract:

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major global public health challenge. Etiological examination serves as a critical approach for TB diagnosis. However, some suspected pulmonary TB patients initially present with no sputum or face difficulties in providing qualified sputum specimens, limiting the effectiveness of sputum-based laboratory detection methods. Concurrently, non-sputum based diagnostic methods, such as oral swab, blood, urine, and other body fluids, has become a focus in TB diagnostic research and development. This article systematically analyzes the current research progress on tongue swab-based TB diagnosis and screening, existing challenges, and key considerations in the application of tongue swabs for TB diagnosis and screening. The aim is to provide references for technological optimization and pilot implementations across diverse scenarios.

Key words: Tuberculosis, pulmonary, Diagnosis, Tongue swab, Consensus development conference