[Classification of tracheobronchial tuberculosis in 252 children]

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Pulmonology
• Infectious Diseases
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Tracheobronchial tuberculosis (TBTB) in children presents unique diagnostic challenges.
• Accurate bronchoscopic classification is essential for guiding treatment strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a theoretical foundation for early diagnosis and precise bronchoscopic classification of TBTB in children.
• To analyze clinical characteristics, bronchoscopic findings, and treatment outcomes in pediatric TBTB patients.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective study of 252 children diagnosed with TBTB who underwent bronchoscopy.
• Data collected included clinical manifestations, imaging features, bronchoscopic characteristics, and interventional therapy outcomes.
• Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 22.0.

Main Results:

• The lymph node fistula type was the most prevalent form of TBTB in children, accounting for 96.4% of cases.
• Other observed types included ulcerative necrosis (1.2%), granulation proliferation (0.4%), and cicatricial stricture (0.8%).
• A 'bronchial fistula type' was proposed for cases with lymph node fistula-like bronchoscopic findings but unclear imaging etiology.

Conclusions:

• Lymph node fistula type is the predominant subtype of TBTB in pediatric populations.
• Classification often relies on imaging, which can introduce uncertainty when enlarged lymph nodes are not evident.
• Further refinement of classification criteria may be needed for accurate TBTB diagnosis in children.