All issues > Volume 38(5); 1995

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1995;38(5):633-640. Published online May 15, 1995.

Evaluation of Culture Proved Tuberculosis Patients

Eun Kyung EK Lee¹, Jae Yoon JY Kim¹, Young Jin YJ Hong¹, Don Hee DH Ahn¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, National Medical Center, Seoul, Korea

Abstract

Purpose
: Childhood tuberculosis is often asymptomatic with low culture rate, but it may res-ult in serious complications via hematogenous spread. Therefore, this study was done to evalu-ate clinical features, laboratory findings in tuberculosis patients proved by culture.
Methods
: We reviewed retrospectively the medical records of 48 cases of proved tubercul-sosis at the department of Pediatrics, National Medical Center, during the period of 10 years fro m January, 1983 to December, 1992.
Results
: 1) Mycobacterium tuberculosis was isolated in 17.4% among the patients whose diagnosis was tuberculosis at discharge. 2) Among 48 patients, only 23 children had BCG vaccination history, 15 children had no va-ccination history, and 10 children had uncertain history. 3) Culture rate according to principal involvement site were : pericardial tuberculosis 100%, mediastinal tuberculosis 100%, miliary tuberculosis 71%, tub-erculosis meningitis 55%, bone and joint tuberculosis 50%, tuberculosis lymphadenitis 16%, pu-lmonary tuberculosis 8%. 4) The sputa and gastric aspirates were positive for culture : 53%, 40% in pulmonary tuberc- ulosis, 25%, 42% in miliary tuberculosis. 5) The positive culture specimens in patients with various tuberculosis were as follows : ga-stric juice 18 cases, cerebrospinal fluid 16 cases, and sputum 13 cases. 6) The results of drug sensitivity test were as follows ; rifampin(89%), kanamycin(79%), iso-niazid(68%).
Conclusion
: Serious tuberculosis such as miliary tuberculosis, tuberculosis meningitis had high culture rate. It is necessary that appropriate antituberculosis medication would be taken according to se-nsitivity result.

Keywords :Childhood tuberculosis