Original scientific paper
Chest Radiography Findings in Primary Pulmonary Tuberculosis in Children
Đurđica Milković
Darko Richter
Ivka Zoričić-Letoja
Miljenko Raos
Ivan Koncul
Abstract
Plain chest radiography plays a major role in the diagnosis and follow-up of pulmonary tuberculosis in childhood. The aim of our study was to investigate the distribution of characteristic chest radiographic findings at diagnosis in children with pulmonary tuberculosis. The age of the patients and the type and localization of radiographic changes at admission were retrospectively analyzed. We reviewed chest radiographs in 204 children admitted from January 1, 1991 until June 30, 1994 for newly diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis. Mean age ± SD was 6.4 ± 4.2 years (range 0–14). The most common lesion was lymphadenopathy (found in 172 children, 84.3%). It was significantly more common in the youngest age group (0–4 years) and was more significantly present in the right hilo-mediastinal region. Parenchymal changes were found in 125 children (61.3%). They were also significantly more common in the young age group and in the right lung. Other less common lesions included pleuritis, atelectasis, destructive-cavitary lesions and miliary dissemination. In conclusion, the leading radiographic finding in pulmonary tuberculosis in childhood remains hilar lymphadenopathy, but parenchymal changes are clearly strongly present, and should be sought and appreciated in the diagnostic work-up for pulmonary tuberculosis in childhood.
Keywords
pulmonary tuberculosis; chest radiography; children
Hrčak ID:
5190
URI
Publication date:
15.6.2005.
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