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Published on: February 16, 2020

Congenital tuberculosis: the value of laboratory investigations in diagnosis

A Das1, J Arora, T Rana

  • 1Department of Microbiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.

Annals of Tropical Paediatrics
|May 31, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Congenital tuberculosis is rare but serious. Early diagnosis in infants is crucial, even when mothers are asymptomatic, as demonstrated by these two cases.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Microbiology

Background:

  • Congenital tuberculosis (TB) is a rare but severe condition.
  • Diagnosis can be challenging, especially in infants of asymptomatic mothers.

Observation:

  • Two cases of congenital TB are presented.
  • Case 1: Infant diagnosed at 12 days; mother symptomatic in early pregnancy.
  • Case 2: Infant diagnosed at 45 days; mother asymptomatic, but had genital TB.

Findings:

  • Infant gastric aspirates were positive for acid-fast bacilli (AFB) and Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
  • PCR confirmed identical strains between infant and mother in Case 1.
  • Genital TB was confirmed in the asymptomatic mother in Case 2 via endometrial biopsy.

Implications:

  • Highlights the importance of considering congenital TB in neonates with suggestive symptoms.
  • Emphasizes the need for thorough maternal investigation, even in asymptomatic cases.
  • Suggests genital TB as a potential source of congenital transmission.

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