Microbiology of pediatric primary pulmonary tuberculosis

Objective: To determine the sensitivity of bacteriologic studies in pediatr ic pulmonary tuberculosis, Patients and methods: Between January 1988 and December 1996, 104 consecuti ve patients aged 0 to 18 years received a diagnosis of primary pulmonary tu berculosis at our institution. Demographic, clinical, laboratory, and bacte riologic data were collected, Clinical specimens were studied for acid-fast bacilli detection by Ziehl-Neelsen stain and cultured for Mycobacterium re covery by Lowenstein-Jensen culture medium. Statistical analysis was perfor med utilizing chi (2), t tests, and multivariate logistic regression analys is. Results: Bacteriologic results were available for 57 patients (54.8%), A po sitive smear or culture result for Mycobacterium tuberculosis was obtained in 9 of 54 patients (16.6%) and 25 of 50 patients (50%), respectively. Conf irmation of M tuberculosis disease was achieved in 28 patients (49.1%), Zie hl-Neelsen stain and Lowenstein-Jensen culture recovery rates were 10.3% (1 4 of 135) and 52% (48 of 92) of specimens studied, respectively. Sputum, pl eural fluid, and biopsy material cultures yielded M tuberculosis in 55%, 75 %, and 63% of patients, respectively. Mean +/- SD age (13.7 +/- 4.5 years v s 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 tuberculo sis disease group (p < 0.05), The presence of a pleural effusion was also m ore commonly found in the confirmed tuberculosis disease group (p < 0.05), Conclusion: 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.