title: Microbiology of pediatric primary pulmonary tuberculosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the sensitivity of bacteriologic studies in pediatric pulmonary tuberculosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between January 1988 and December 1996, 104 consecutive patients aged 0 to 18 years received a diagnosis of primary pulmonary tuberculosis at our institution. Demographic, clinical, laboratory, and bacteriologic data were collected. Clinical specimens were studied for acid-fast bacilli detection by Ziehl-Neelsen stain and cultured for Mycobacterium recovery by Lowenstein-Jensen culture medium. Statistical analysis was performed utilizing chi(2), t tests, and multivariate logistic regression analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Bacteriologic results were available for 57 patients (54.8%). A positive smear or culture result for Mycobacterium tuberculosis was obtained in 9 of 54 patients (16.6%) and 25 of 50 patients (50%), respectively. Confirmation of M tuberculosis disease was achieved in 28 patients (49.1%). Ziehl-Neelsen stain and Lowenstein-Jensen culture recovery rates were 10.3% (14 of 135) and 52% (48 of 92) of specimens studied, respectively. Sputum, pleural fluid, and biopsy material cultures yielded M tuberculosis in 55%, 75%, and 63% of patients, respectively. Mean +/- SD age (13.7 +/- 4.5 years vs 9.6 +/- 4.5 years) and number of samples submitted for culture (1.93 +/- 0.94 vs 1.31 +/- 0.97) were significantly higher in the confirmed tuberculosis disease group (p < 0.05). The presence of a pleural effusion was also more commonly found in the confirmed tuberculosis disease group (p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The sensitivity of bacteriologic studies in pediatric pulmonary tuberculosis disease was 49.1%. Age is the main factor associated with the positivity of culture results.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Department, Hospital General Yagüe, Burgos, Spain. jmmerino@hgy.es
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Merino
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Alvarez
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marrero
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ansó
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Elvira
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Iglesias
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: González
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000382:microbiology*