Cutaneous tuberculosis in children a clinico-microbiological study.

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Infectious Diseases
• Pediatrics

Background:

• Cutaneous tuberculosis (TB) is a significant concern in pediatric dermatology.
• Understanding the varied clinical presentations and diagnostic challenges is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the incidence, clinical types, and diagnostic approaches for cutaneous tuberculosis in children.
• To evaluate the efficacy of current diagnostic methods and emphasize the need for newer techniques.

Main Methods:

• A study involving twenty untreated pediatric patients diagnosed with cutaneous tuberculosis.
• Clinical evaluation, histopathological examination, tuberculin testing, acid-fast bacilli (AFB) smear, Mycobacterium tuberculosis culture, and IgM antibody ELISA were performed.

Main Results:

• The incidence of cutaneous TB was 0.36% among pediatric dermatology patients.
• Common forms included lupus vulgaris (10 cases) and scrofuloderma (8 cases).
• Systemic involvement (pulmonary, osseous) was observed in 45% of cases. Tuberculin tests were uniformly positive, but AFB detection was challenging, with only one positive smear and culture.
• ELISA for IgM antibodies was positive in 60% of cases.

Conclusions:

• Cutaneous tuberculosis in children exhibits diverse clinical forms and often coexists with systemic involvement.
• While clinico-histopathological correlation is vital, traditional methods for AFB detection have limitations.
• The study underscores the necessity for developing and implementing advanced diagnostic techniques for accurate and timely diagnosis of pediatric cutaneous TB.