[Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in the pediatric age group]. / Tuberculosis mutirresistente en la edad pediátrica.

AIMS: To study the clinical and epidemiological features in eight pediatric patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) diagnosed from 1994 to 2005 in three hospitals in Madrid (Spain). METHODS: A retrospective study was performed in patients aged less than 15 years old with positive culture for multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis and patients with negative cultures diagnosed after contact with MDR-TB. RESULTS: Pulmonary tuberculosis was diagnosed in seven patients and arthritis in one. Fifty percent of the patients were immigrants and an adult source case was found in four (50%). M. tuberculosis was isolated in gastric juice in four patients and in synovial biopsy in one. In three patients cultures were negative but these patients had previously been in contact with MDR-TB. Two strains were resistant to isoniazid and rifampicin, four were resistant to isoniazid, rifampicin and streptomycin, one was resistant to isoniazid, rifampicin, streptomycin and pyrazinamide, and one was resistant to 11 drugs. Six patients initially received conventional treatment without improvement. Patients received therapy for 15 months (range: 12 to 18) with 3 to 5 drugs according to the sensitivity study. The following adverse effects were observed: creatine phosphokinase increase (one patient), tendinitis (one patient), alteration of visual evoked responses (one patient) and transitory psychosis (one patient). One patient required pulmonary lobectomy. All patients responded satisfactorily to medical treatment. CONCLUSIONS: MDR-TB should be suspected in patients not responding to TB treatment, especially those from countries with high resistance rates. In patients with negative cultures, treatment should rely on the results of a sensitivity study in the adult source case. MDR-TB requires the use of second-line anti-TB drugs for prolonged periods with possible toxic effects.

Tuberculosis mutirresistente en la edad pediátrica / Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in the pediatric age group

Objetivos Estudiar las características clínicas y epidemiológicas de 8 pacientes pediátricos con tuberculosis multirresistente (TB-MDR) diagnosticados en 3 hospitales de Madrid entre 1994 y 2005. Métodos Estudio retrospectivo que incluye pacientes menores de 15 años con aislamiento de Mycobacterium tuberculosis multirresistente y sin aislamiento que empezaron tras contacto con TB-MDR. Resultados Se diagnosticaron 7 tuberculosis pulmonares y una artritis. El 50 % eran inmigrantes y en el 50 % se confirmó contacto con adulto enfermo. Se aisló M. tuberculosis en jugo gástrico (4) y biopsia sinovial (1). En 3 pacientes no se consiguió aislamiento, pero se confirmó contacto con TB-MDR. Dos cepas presentaron resistencia a isoniazida (H) y rifampicina (R), cuatro a H, R y estreptomicina (S), una a H, R, S y pirazinamida (Z) y una a 11 fármacos. Seis pacientes recibieron tratamiento convencional inicial sin presentar mejoría. Una vez conocida la sensibilidad de la cepa, se administró tratamiento durante una media de 15 meses (rango: 12-18 meses) con 3-5 fármacos efectivos. Los efectos secundarios observados fueron: aumento de creatinfosfocinasa (1), tendinitis (1), alteración de potenciales visuales (1) y psicosis transitoria (1). Un paciente requirió lobectomía. Todos los pacientes evolucionaron satisfactoriamente. Conclusiones La TB-MDR debe sospecharse en casos con mala evolución, especialmente si proceden de zonas con altas tasas de resistencia. En niños enfermos con cultivos negativos y expuestos a TB-MDR, el tratamiento se realizará según el estudio de resistencias del caso índice. La resistencia limita las opciones terapéuticas y conlleva la utilización de fármacos con posibles efectos tóxicos

Aims To study the clinical and epidemiological features in eight pediatric patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) diagnosed from 1994 to 2005 in three hospitals in Madrid (Spain). Methods A retrospective study was performed in patients aged less than 15 years old with positive culture for multidrugresistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis and patients with negative cultures diagnosed after contact with MDR-TB. Results Pulmonary tuberculosis was diagnosed in seven patients and arthritis in one. Fifty percent of the patients were immigrants and an adult source case was found in four (50 %). M. tuberculosis was isolated in gastric juice in four patients and in synovial biopsy in one. In three patients cultures were negative but these patients had previously been in contact with MDR-TB. Two strains were resistant to isoniazid and rifampicin, four were resistant to isoniazid, rifampicin and streptomycin, one was resistant to isoniazid, rifampicin, streptomycin and pyrazinamide, and one was resistant to 11 drugs. Six patients initially received conventional treatment without improvement. Patients received therapy for 15 months (range: 12 to 18) with 3 to 5 drugs according to the sensitivity study. The following adverse effects were observed: creatine phosphokinase increase (one patient), tendinitis (one patient), alteration of visual evoked responses (one patient) and transitory psychosis (one patient). One patient required pulmonary lobectomy. All patients responded satisfactorily to medical treatment. Conclusions MDR-TB should be suspected in patients not responding to TB treatment, especially those from countries with high resistance rates. In patients with negative cultures, treatment should rely on the results of a sensitivity study in the adult source case. MDR-TB requires the use of second- line anti-TB drugs for prolonged periods with possible toxic effects