Understanding why some multidrug-resistant tuberculosis cases are not detected by rapid phenotypic and genotypic routine clinical tests is essential to improve diagnostic assays and advance toward personalized tuberculosis treatment. Here, we combine whole-genome sequencing with single-colony phenotyping to identify a multidrug-resistant strain that had infected a patient for 9 years. Our investigation revealed the failure of rapid testing and genome-based prediction tools to identify the multidrug-resistant strain. The false-negative findings were caused by uncommon rifampicin and isoniazid resistance mutations. Although whole-genome sequencing data helped to personalize treatment, the patient developed extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis, highlighting the importance of coupling new diagnostic methods with appropriate treatment regimens.
Keywords: Tuberculosis; cryptic mutations; drug resistance; individualized treatment; whole-genome sequencing.
© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America.