three-year study of the defferent type of extrapulmonanary tuberculosis children

ABSTRACT

The percentage of cases diagnosed as extrapulmonary tuberculosis [EPTB] was found to be rising over the past decade. This work was done to study the different clinical forms of EPTB in children attending the chest clinic of Cairo University Children r Hospital over a period of three years 1996-1998. A total of 432 patients were diagnosed as EPTB over the study period. We then compared the data to 80 cases from the records of 1988. A significant reduction in the incidence of tuberculous [TB] lymphadenitis was noted between 1988 and 1998 [P=0. 03]. In 1988, cervical lymphadenopathy prevailed forming 77% of patients presenting with lymphadenopathy, while in 1998, the same group of lymph nodes were affected in only 55.6% [P=0.001]. Over the past years both axillaey and supraclavicular lymph node affection increased. Abdominal TB cases increased from 30% in 1988 to over 40% in the late 90's. There is an evident decrease in TB peritonitis. On the other hand combined and rare forms increased. Skeletal TB ranged from 10% to 12.5%of the cases. Central nervous system [CNS] TB presented a small percentage of patients limited to TB meningitis and tuberculomas in the cerebral hemispheres or the cerebellum. In conclusion, early suspicion of EBTB, proper investigations and adequate management is mandatory to decrease morbidity