Are Chest X-rays still necessary for Pre-biologics Tuberculosis screening? A retrospective audit

Biological therapy is widely used in the UK for treating a wide range of autoimmune dermatological conditions if other treatments are not tolerated or are contraindicated. In the UK, it is common practice for chest X-rays (CXR) to be done with an Interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA) as part of the pre-biologics tuberculosis screening. However, studies have shown that CXR might not be effective in detecting latent or extrapulmonary TB.

We report a single-centred retrospective audit of dermatological patients with Hidradenitis Suppurativa and Psoriasis who started on biologics, collecting data regarding the patient’s history, chest x-ray results, IGRA results and screening outcomes. This study aims to assess the value of CXR in screening Tuberculosis before starting biologics.