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Original ArticleOpen Access
Congenital Tuberculosis
Chotpitayasunondh T 
,
Sangtawesin V
,
Sangtawesin V This is a retrospective study of congenital tuberculosis in Queen Sirikit National Institute of
Child Health from 1979 to 1998. There were 9 patients with a mean birth weight of 2,500 grams (range
1,800-3,300). The onset of symptoms and age of diagnosis ranged from 7 to 42 (mean, 21) days and 14
to 75 (mean, 54) days after birth, respectively. The presenting signs and symptoms were fever (100%),
poor feeding (1 00% ), irritability ( 100% ), failure to gain weight ( 100% ), hepatomegaly (1 00% ), spleno-
megaly (77.8%), cough (88.9%), respiratory distress (66.7%) and abdominal distension (77.8%). The
tuberculin skin test reaction with ;:::: 10 mm induration was found in 2 of 8 patients. Their abnormal
chest radiographs revealed bronchopneumonia 66.7 per cent, miliary pattern 33.3 per cent and multiple
cystic lesion 11.1 per cent. The bacteriological study from gastric aspirate content for acid-fast bacilli
(AFB) staining and culture were positive in 62.5 and 71.4 per cent respectively. Fatality rate was 33.3
per cent with no sequele found in the survivors. Congenital tuberculosis is a rare entity and difficult
to give an early diagnosis. There should be a high index of suspicion for tuberculosis in those who had
pneumonia and were unresponsive to aggressive antibiotics or had unexplained etiology.
Key word
: Tuberculosis, Congenital, Young Infants
Child Health from 1979 to 1998. There were 9 patients with a mean birth weight of 2,500 grams (range
1,800-3,300). The onset of symptoms and age of diagnosis ranged from 7 to 42 (mean, 21) days and 14
to 75 (mean, 54) days after birth, respectively. The presenting signs and symptoms were fever (100%),
poor feeding (1 00% ), irritability ( 100% ), failure to gain weight ( 100% ), hepatomegaly (1 00% ), spleno-
megaly (77.8%), cough (88.9%), respiratory distress (66.7%) and abdominal distension (77.8%). The
tuberculin skin test reaction with ;:::: 10 mm induration was found in 2 of 8 patients. Their abnormal
chest radiographs revealed bronchopneumonia 66.7 per cent, miliary pattern 33.3 per cent and multiple
cystic lesion 11.1 per cent. The bacteriological study from gastric aspirate content for acid-fast bacilli
(AFB) staining and culture were positive in 62.5 and 71.4 per cent respectively. Fatality rate was 33.3
per cent with no sequele found in the survivors. Congenital tuberculosis is a rare entity and difficult
to give an early diagnosis. There should be a high index of suspicion for tuberculosis in those who had
pneumonia and were unresponsive to aggressive antibiotics or had unexplained etiology.
Key word
: Tuberculosis, Congenital, Young Infants
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