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[Pulmonary tuberculosis in infants: apropos of 149 cases]
M L Vidal López1, M J del Cerro Marín, M J García de Miguel
1Servicio de Infecciosos, Hospital Infantil La Paz, Madrid.
Insights
This study analyzed 149 childhood tuberculosis cases, finding contact screening crucial for diagnosis. All children fully recovered after treatment, with therapy durations decreasing over time.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
- Pulmonology
Abstract:
One hundred and forty-nine cases of childhood pulmonary tuberculosis were analysed being a 77.6% of the 192 cases of tuberculosis diagnosed at the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Department of "La Paz" Hospital, in a ten year period. The children were aged 3 months to 14 years; 65% of them were less than 6 years of age. The source case was found in 67.1% of the children. The primary means of diagnosis was contact screening (38.1%), followed by a 27.5% that presented with non-specific symptoms, while 18.1% of the cases presented with respiratory symptoms. Gastric aspirates yield the organism in 25.8% of cases. Radiologically the following was found: 38.9% mixed patterns, 32.2% nodal patterns, 23.4% parenchymal patterns, 1.34 miliary tuberculosis, 1.34% caverns and 2.68% pleural effusions. Right lung location was more frequent in parenchymatous forms (68%), as well as in nodal forms (61.5%). The duration of the course of therapy changed along this ten years period: from twelve months initially to ten months posteriorly, subsequently becoming a six month course of treatment. All cases experienced full recovery.