Background/Aim Tuberculosis (TB) continues to be one of the most important ‎infectious diseases threatening the human health. Culture systems are used for ‎isolation of tuberculous bacilli as they are more sensitive than smear microscopy. ‎The Aim of the work was to evaluate the detection rate and time of mycobacterium ‎tuberculosis by using the Bio FM system and mycobacteria growth indicator tube ‎‎(MGIT) system in comparison with the Lowenstein-Jensen medium. Methods: This ‎study was carried out on a total 60 smear acid fast bacilli positive sputum samples ‎obtained from patients attending Chest Department and Outpatient Clinic of Benha ‎University Hospital, Benha Chest Hospital, from June 2011 to September of the ‎same year. Patients were classified into three groups: Group I: included 40 patients ‎with fresh sputum smear +ve (new cases) Group II: included 13 relapsed cases and ‎Group III: included 7 treatment failure cases. All sputum samples were cultured in ‎parallel on Bio-FM, MGIT and LJ media. The mycobacterial detection rate and time ‎were compared. Results: The mycobacteria recovery rate on MGIT, Bio- FM and LJ ‎were not significantly different (respectively 98.3%, 95% and 93 %, P > 0.05). The ‎growth of M. tuberculosi was faster on MGIT then on Bio-FM (mean 10.7±2.9 days, ‎‎11.1±4.3 days respectively vs. 23.6±8.1 days for LJ, there was statistically ‎significant difference between L.J and Bio-FM and L.J and MGIT, However there ‎was no statistically significant when comparing MGIT and Bio-FM.‎
In conclusion: MGIT, BioFM media were better than LJ medium in recovery rate ‎and detection time of mycobacterial growth.‎