EPIDEMIOLOGICAL AND CLINICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF TUBERCULOSIS IN CHOLDREN UP TO SEVEN YEARS OF AGE TREATED AT SREBRNJAK CHILDREN\u27S HOSPITAL

U razdoblju od 1. siječnja 2000. godine do 31. prosinca 2007. godine liječeno je 40-ero djece s utvrđenom tuberkulozom u dobi od 0 do 7 godina. Iz Zagreba i Zagrebačke županije liječeno je 30%, a iz drugih županija 70% bolesnika. Ženskih bolesnika bilo je 60%. Od 0. do 4. godine života bila je većina (75%). Pozitivan unutarobiteljski kontakt utvrđen je kod 87,5% bolesnika. Od primarne plućne tuberkuloze liječeno je 65%, a od postprimarne tuberkuloze 35% bolesnika. Svi su bili BCG-irani, a ožiljak je imalo 82,5% bolesnika. Značajno pozitivan tuberkulinski test nađen je kod 87,5% bolesnika. Simptome bolesti imalo je 62,5% bolesnika, a pozitivan auskultacijski nalaz na plućima imalo je njih 37,5%. Tuberkuloza je radiološki potvrđena u 95% bolesnika, bronhoskopski kod njih 17,5%, a pozitivnu kulturu na mikobakterij tuberkuloze imalo je 55% bolesnika. Ovo je istraživanje pokazalo da su podatci o izloženosti infekciji unutar obitelji, pozitivan tuberkulinski test te pozitivan radiološki nalaz bili ključni u dijagnostici tuberkuloze u djece.Forty children with tuberculosis (TB), aged up to 7 years were treated in the period from January 2000 to December 2007. There were 30% children from Zagreb and Zagreb County and 70% patients from other counties. 60% of patients were female. Most patients were aged up to 4 years (75%). Positive intra-familiar contact was confirmed in 87.5% of patients. Primary TB was present in 65% of patients, postprimary TB in 35%. All children were BCG vaccinated, and a BCG scar was found in 82.5% of patients. Significantly positive PPD-test was found in 87.5% of patients. Symptoms were evidenced in 62.5% of patients, and auscultative findings in the lungs were present in 37.5% of patients. Tuberculosis was confirmed by radiologic examination in 95%, by bronchoscopic findings in 17.5% of patients, and mycobacterium tuberculosis culture positive test was found in 55% of patients. The present study has shown that intra-familiar contact with a tuberculosis subject, positive PPD-test, and radiological finding are crucial findings for the diagnosis of tuberculosis in children