title: Map the gap: missing children with drug-resistant tuberculosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The lack of published information about children with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is an obstacle to efforts to advocate for better diagnostics and treatment.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To describe the lack of recognition in the published literature of MDR-TB and extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB) in children.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a systematic search of the literature published in countries that reported any MDR- or XDR-TB case by 2012 to identify MDR- or XDR-TB cases in adults and in children.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 184 countries and territories that reported any case of MDR-TB during 2005-2012, we identified adult MDR-TB cases in the published literature in 143 (78%) countries and pediatric MDR-TB cases in 78 (42%) countries. Of the 92 countries that reported any case of XDR-TB, we identified adult XDR-TB cases in the published literature in 55 (60%) countries and pediatric XDR-TB cases for 9 (10%) countries.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The absence of publications documenting child MDR- and XDR-TB cases in settings where MDR- and XDR-TB in adults have been reported indicates both exclusion of childhood disease from the public discourse on drug-resistant TB and likely underdetection of sick children. Our results highlight a large-scale lack of awareness about children with MDR- and XDR-TB.
authors.affiliation: Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA ; Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Yuen
authors.affiliation: Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.affiliation: Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA ; Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA ; Partners In Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Keshavjee
authors.affiliation: Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA ; Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA ; Partners In Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Becerra
keywords: extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis; multidrug-resistant; pediatric; tuberculosis