All issues > Volume 52(5); 2009

Review Article

Korean J Pediatr. 2009;52(5):519-528. Published online May 15, 2009.

Treatment of latent tuberculous infection in children and adolescent

Jong-Hyun JH Kim¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea

Correspondence Jong-Hyun JH Kim ,Email: jh00mn@catholic.ac.kr

Abstract

Tuberculosis continues to cause an unacceptably high toll of disease and death among children worldwide. Whereas intense scientific and clinical research efforts into novel diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventive interventions have focused on tuberculosis in adults, childhood tuberculosis has been relatively neglected. However, children are particularly vulnerable to severe disease and death following infection, and those with latent infection become the reservoir for future transmission following disease reactivation in adulthood, fuelling future epidemics. Therefore, it is very important to understand the significance, diagnosis and treatment of latent tuberculous infection to decrease a future disease burden of tuberculosis. Unfortunately, these concept still have not fully implicated in Korean National Tuberculosis Control Program, it should be engaged and enforced as soon as possible.

Keywords :Tuberculosis, Children, Latent tuberculous infection, LTBI, Tuberculin skin test, Interferon gamma releasing assay, Anti-tuberculous drug