The role of clinical and laboratory findings in the diagnosis of tuberculosis in pediatric patients: A 4-year single-center evaluation

Abstract

Objective: Early diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) is important in reducing morbidity and mortality. In this study, we aimed to determine the signs and symptoms that provide the differential diagnosis of TB in pediatric patients. Patients and Methods: The study included children diagnosed with TB between 2019 and 2023. Patients' clinical, laboratory, and radiological findings, treatments, clinical course, and complications were analyzed. Results: Of a total of 28 patients, 15 had pulmonary TB, 6 had lymphadenitis, and 7 had abdominal TB. Their median age was 127.28 +/- 65.11 months; sixteen patients (57.1%) were male, and 11 (39.3%) had contact. Prolonged cough, fever, weight loss, and abdominal pain were the most common symptoms. Eighteen (64.3%) had a history of antibiotic usage. C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation were statistically significantly higher in patients with abdominal TB than patients with pulmonary TB, and lymphopenia and hypoalbuminemia were more common (0.009, 0.002, p<0.005), no inflammation sign in patients with TB lymphadenitis. Diagnosis was made by microbiological tests in 15 patients (53.6%), by clinical plus radiological findings in 11, and by response to the antituberculosis treatment in 2 patients. Conclusion: Tuberculosis should be suspected in subacute infections with high inflammatory markers that do not improve with non-specific antibiotic treatment and abdominal involvement should be investigated in pulmonary TB.