Bacteriologically confirmed pulmonary tuberculosis in childhood. Clinical and radiological features.
Over a 4-year period 185 cases of pulmonary tuberculosis in children were confirmed by culture of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, usually from gastric aspirate. The majority of cases occurred in boys (62%) and the younger age groups were more commonly affected--26% of patients were less than 1 year old and 65% less than 3 years of age. At the time of presentation 40% of the 151 children tested had a negative tuberculin test. A chest radiograph was available in 136 cases. The commonest changes seen were lymphadenopathy (63%) and segmental lesions (56%). The latter affected mainly the right lung and in particular the right middle lobe. Cavitating tuberculous disease was present in 19 children, including 5 aged less than 1 year.
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011859:Radiography; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000382:microbiology