[Characteristics of childhood tuberculosis]

In spite of a decline in the western industrialised countries, tuberculosis remains one of the commonest causes of childhood mortality in the world. In most cases, children become infected by adults in their immediate environment. The clinical manifestation as a consequence of the primary infection reflects the community transmission of tuberculosis. Children with untreated infection remain a lifelong pool for future disease and therefore infectivity. Thus, prevention and therapy of latent tuberculosis infection are fundamental duties of the public health system. The risk of developing active disease following infection with MYCOBACTERIUM TUBERCULOSIS is especially high in children. Compared to adults, childhood tuberculosis manifests differently and is often more severe. At the same time, the diagnosis is complicated by the unspecific clinical presentation and difficulty of culture confirmation in children. This article gives an overview of the special features of the epidemiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis and management of childhood tuberculosis.