[Tuberculous otitis media and mastoiditis in 2 children]

One hundred years ago Robert Koch discovered tuberculous bacilli in tuberculous tissue. Since then the tuberculous disease has shown decreasing frequency, due to the specific antibiotics (Streptomycin since 1944) and to the BCG-Vaccination (Calmette and Guerin, 1921; vaccinations since 1948). This leads to difficulties in diagnosing the disease, especially in extrapulmonary forms (present in about 1:7 cases). One must consider also that about 40% of new diseases occur in the first 5 years of life and 80% in the first 14 years [9]. We report on two children with tuberculous otitis/mastoiditis in whom the lung disease was subsequently discovered. In one of the cases the mother died of tuberculous meningitis a few days after the specific otitis had been diagnosed in the child.