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A profile of bacteriologically confirmed pulmonary tuberculosis in children

Soumya Swaminathan1, Manjula Datta, M P Radhamani

  • 1Division of HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis Research Centre, Chetput, Chennai, India. doctorsoumya@yahoo.com

Indian Pediatrics
|September 30, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Pediatric tuberculosis often presents with insidious fever and cough, and lymphadenopathy is common, even with pulmonary involvement. Many children have normal chest X-rays, and drug resistance rates in children reflect adult patterns.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Microbiology

Background:

  • Tuberculosis (TB) remains a significant global health challenge, particularly in pediatric populations.
  • Accurate diagnosis and understanding the clinical presentation in children are crucial for effective management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To delineate the clinical characteristics of children diagnosed with bacteriologically confirmed tuberculosis.
  • To assess the diagnostic utility of chest radiography in pediatric TB.
  • To determine drug resistance patterns in pediatric TB cases.

Main Methods:

  • A multicenter study involving 2652 children (6 months to 12 years) with suspected TB.
  • Investigations included clinical examination, chest X-ray, tuberculin skin test, and mycobacterial smear/culture from sputum or gastric lavage.
  • Lymph node biopsy was performed when indicated.

Main Results:

  • Bacteriological confirmation of TB was achieved in 201 children.
  • Common symptoms included insidious illness, fever, cough, weight loss, and glandular swelling.
  • A notable proportion (over 50%) had normal chest X-rays.
  • Isoniazid resistance was 12.6%, and multidrug-resistant TB (MDR TB) was 4%.

Conclusions:

  • Pediatric TB often manifests with insidious onset of fever and cough, with lymphadenopathy being a frequent finding.
  • Chest radiography may not always be indicative of pulmonary TB in children.
  • Observed drug resistance rates in children align with those in the adult population in the study region.
Abstract

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