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Updated: Dec 5, 2025
An Automated Culture System for Use in Preclinical Testing of Host-Directed Therapies for Tuberculosis
Published on: August 16, 2021
Evaluation of clinical and laboratory characteristics of childhood tuberculosis
Deniz Aygün1, Tarık Yıldırım1, Özlem Başoğlu Öner1
1Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Kanuni Sultan Süleyman Training and Research Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey.
Insights
Childhood tuberculosis presents with nonspecific symptoms, making diagnosis challenging. However, this preventable and treatable disease requires careful evaluation of clinical, laboratory, and radiologic findings in children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Infectious Diseases
- Microbiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Tuberculosis (TB) is a highly contagious ancient disease affecting a quarter of the global population.
- Childhood TB lacks standardized clinical and radiological diagnostic criteria.
- This study addresses the need for better understanding of pediatric TB presentation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the clinical, laboratory, and radiological characteristics of childhood tuberculosis.
- To identify factors associated with disease presentation and severity in pediatric TB patients.
- To improve diagnostic approaches for tuberculosis in children.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of medical records for 216 pediatric patients diagnosed with TB.
- Data collected from January 2015 to July 2019.
- Inclusion criteria: hospitalized patients with a confirmed TB diagnosis.
Main Results:
- The study included 129 females (59.7%) and 87 males (40.3%), with a mean age of 12.3 years.
- Pulmonary TB was predominant (78.2%), followed by extrapulmonary (15.7%) and mixed forms (6%).
- Tuberculin skin test positivity was observed in 66.2%, while acid-fast bacilli and culture positivity were 21.3% and 19.4%, respectively. Lower socioeconomic status and growth/developmental retardation were associated with increased TB rates (p<0.001) and longer hospital stays (p=0.027). Extrapulmonary TB correlated with lower hemoglobin and sodium levels (p<0.05).
Conclusions:
- Childhood tuberculosis diagnosis is complicated by nonspecific signs and symptoms.
- Despite diagnostic challenges, TB in children is a preventable and treatable condition.
- Further research into specific pediatric TB markers is warranted.
Aim:
Tuberculosis is one of the oldest and most contagious diseases of human history. One- quarter of the world's population is infected with the tuberculosis bacillus. Childhood tuberculosis does not have a standard clinical and radiologic description. Herein, we aimed to evaluate the clinical, laboratory, and radiologic findings of childhood tuberculosis.
Material And Methods:
The medical records of 216 patients hospitalized and treated with a diagnosis of TB between January 2015 and July 2019 in the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases in our hospital, were examined retrospectively.
Results:
One hundred twenty-nine (59.7%) of 216 patients who were diagnosed as having TB were female and 87 (40.3%) were male. The age distribution of the patients was 12.3 (range, 0.33-18) years. One hundred sixty-nine patients (78.2%) had pulmonary, 34 (15.7%) had extrapulmonary, 13 had (6%) both pulmonary and extrapulmonary. One hundred forty-three (66.2%) patients had tuberculin skin test positivity. Acid-resistant bacteria were observed in 46 (21.3%) body fluid samples, and culture positivity was observed in 42 (19.4%) samples. The association of pulmonary tuberculosis and extrapulmonary tuberculosis was found with a higher rate in individuals who lived on minimum wage and in patients who had growth and developmental retardation (p=0.001, p<0.001). The hospitalization time was longer in these patients (p=0.027). The hemoglobin and sodium levels were significantly lower in patients who had extrapulmonary tuberculosis (p=0.044, p=0.002).
Conclusion:
Although the diagnosis of childhood tuberculosis is difficult due to the nonspecific signs and symptoms, it is a preventable and treatable disease.
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