Clinical Spectrum of Pediatric Tuberculosis: A Microbiological Correlation from a Tertiary Care Center

The paucibacillary nature of pediatric tuberculosis (TB) makes diagnosis difficult. The aim of the study was to correlate the clinical spectrum of pediatric TB with microbiological diagnosis.

Specimens from clinically suspected pediatric TB cases were subjected to Ziehl-Neelsen staining, culture on Lowenstein-Jensen medium and cartridge-based nucleic acid amplification test (CB-NAAT) for TB.

Pulmonary TB was the predominant form affecting 36 of 62 (58%) patients. Tubercular meningitis was the commonest form of extrapulmonary type and affected 13 of 26 (50%) children. Microbiological diagnosis by any of the above methods could be established in 35 (56.45%) cases. While 33 of 36 (92%) patients diagnosed with pulmonary TB had radiological findings, of which only 25 (76%) could be microbiologically confirmed, only 24 of 31 (77%) patients with extrapulmonary symptoms had radiological evidence and microbiological confirmation could be achieved in 4 (17%) of these.

An integrated approach of diagnosis, including clinical-radiological, microbiological and immunological evidence should be stressed on.