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Wednesday, November 19, 2008

PPD skin test

Positive ppd skin test
Positive ppd skin test
PPD skin test
PPD skin test
Tuberculosis in the kidney
Tuberculosis in the kidney
Tuberculosis in the lung
Tuberculosis in the lung
Alternative Names

Purified protein derivative standard; TB skin test; Tuberculin skin test


What the risks are

There is a very small risk of severe redness and swelling of the arm in individuals who have had a previous positive PPD test and who undergo repeat testing. There have been a few cases of this reaction also occurring in individuals who have not been previously tested.


Special considerations

This test is widely used. However, its limitations include the fact that there are false negatives and false positives. In addition, a positive skin test does not necessarily mean that an individual has active tuberculosis. Additional studies are needed to verify whether active disease is present.



Review Date: 06/10/2005
Reviewed By: Eleftherios Mylonakis, M.D., Division of Infectious Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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