[Tuberculosis screening of patient contacts in 1993 and 1994 in Yaounde, Cameroon]

To achieve early diagnosis in close contacts of tuberculosis patients and determine the most useful screening procedures for this purpose in Cameroon, 336 tuberculosis patients hospitalized in Unit B of the chest clinic of the Jamot Hospital in Yaounde from September 1993 to September 1994 were asked to bring their close contacts in for screening. Each contact underwent thorough clinical examination, standard postero-anterior chest X-ray, and a tuberculin skin test. If respiratory symptoms and/or chest X-ray lesions were present, acid fast bacilli (AFB) detection testing was performed on bronchial secretions. Only 104 of the 336 tuberculosis patients brought in their close contacts for evaluation. A total of 346 people were examined. Tuberculosis was detected in 50 (14.6%). Half of the new cases were under 14 years old. The most useful screening procedures tuberculosis were clinical examination, chest X-ray, and AFB testing if respiratory symptoms were present. The tuberculin skin test was not helpful.