Background. Sputum smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis patients expel infectious viable bacilli for a period following the commencement of treatment. Objective. To determine the time to sputum smear conversion and study the factors influencing it. Design. A prospective study was undertaken at our hospital in Rabat over a six-month period on a cohort of 119 sputum smear positive patients. Patients were followed up fortnightly. At each followup, specimens were collected and processed for microscopy using standard protocol. Results. 96.6% of our patients completed the study (4 deaths). Sputum conversion rate was 42% after two weeks, 73% after one month, and 95% after two months. Univariate and stepwise regression analysis showed that patients who had high smear grading, miliary, and bilateral radiologic lesions were more likely to undergo delayed sputum conversion ( < 0.05). Other factors were thought to influence sputum conversion but were not statistically proven in our study. Conclusion. Since viable bacilli continue to be expelled for up to two months, infection control measures should be maintained for such a time. Patients with high smear grading, miliary, and bilateral radiologic lesions need to be monitored more closely.

Background: Breast tuberculosis is an uncommon disease even in countries where the incidence of tuberculosis is high. Case Report: This is a case series concerning 4 postmenopausal breast tuberculosis cases encountered in Moulay Youssef Hospital between January 2007 and December 2010. Breast tuberculosis represents 0.25% of all hospitalized tuberculosis patients in our department. The mean age of our patients was 62.5 ± 5.8 years. Clinical findings were heterogeneous; 1 case was multifocal tuberculosis, and another case was coexistent tuberculosis and malignancy of the breast. Mammography and ultrasonography findings were suspicious for malignancy in all 4 cases. Fine needle aspiration was negative in 3 cases. The diagnosis was made in all patients by histological examination of biopsy specimens, which revealed typical tuberculous lesions. Antituberculosis therapy formed the mainstay of treatment. Conclusion: The clinical and radiological features of mammary tuberculosis can be very confusing and easily mistaken for breast cancer. Symptoms suggestive of tuberculosis warrant a biopsy to exclude possible cancer.

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Background: There are few studies on presentations, treatment and outcomes of pediatric tuberculosis in Morocco. This study aimed to describe clinico-epidemiological profiles, laboratory findings, treatment and outcomes of pediatric tuberculosis (TB) in a tertiary care hospital in Morocco. Materials and Methods: This is a prospective, descriptive study undertaken in children diagnosed with TB between June 2011 and May 2012. Clinico-pidemiologicalprofiles, laboratory findings, treatment and outcome of patients was recorded. Statistical significance of category variables was evaluated. Analysis was done on SPSS package. Results were expressed as rates and proportions. Chi square test was used to test for statistical significance. Results: 53 children aged 2 to 16 years (mean age of 9±3.2) with TB diagnosis were enrolled in our study. 33 (62%) of patients were female. Common symptoms were fever, cough, chest pain, dyspnea, decreased appetite and weight loss. The types of TB were: pulmonary TB (32, 60%), and extrapulmonary TB (21, 39.6%). The sites of pediatric extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) were: lymph nodes (7, 13.2%), peritoneal (6, 11.3%), meningeal (4, 7.5%) and osteoarticular (4, 7.5%). 24 (45,3%) of the patients had positive Calmette-Guérin vaccine scar, and 42(79.2%) of the patients had a positive tuberculin skin test. An adult TB contact was identified in 19 (35.8%) of the cases. On direct microscopy, acid-fast bacilli were found in 3 (5.6%) patients and positive cul¬ture for Mycobacterium tuberculosis was found in 2 (3.7%). Drug mono- or multiresistance was not detected. Conclusion: Paediatric TB in both pulmonary and extrapulmonary forms is a challenging diagnosis, and is a common occurrence in our setting. Diagnosis was based on a combination of epidemiological and clinical suspicion supported by results of various investigations.

La tuberculose est une maladie infectieuse transmissible provoquée par myco-bacterium tuberculosis (bacille de Koch ou BK). Elle représente, selon les estimations del'Organisation Mondiale de la Santé (OMS), l'une des pathologies infectieuses causant le plus de décès au niveau mondial avec plus de 1 million de décès par an. Pour déterminer les facteurs de risque de mortalité au cours de la tuberculose pulmonaire à microscopie positive nous avons mené une étude rétrospective portant sur tous les cas de tuberculose pulmonaire à microscopie positive et qui étaient décédés au cours de leur hospitalisation. Cette étude a colligé 1803 cas de tuberculose sur une période de 2 ans et demi dont 46 sont décédés. La prévalence de décès est de 2,55%. La population se répartit en 32 hommes et 14 femmes. L’âge moyen était de 53ans ± 17 ans. Le tabagisme était retrouvé chez la moitié des cas. Une comorbidité était retrouvée dans 43%, avec 17% de diabète. Le délai de diagnostic avait une médiane de 60 jours avec percentile (30j; 105j). La symptomatologie clinique était dominée par la toux, la dyspnée et les expectorations soit respectivement: 97,8%, 69,6% et 67,4% des cas. Sur le plan radiologique les lésions étaient diffuses et bilatérales dans 76,1% des cas. Tous les patients étaient mis sous SRHZ. 11% avaient présenté une toxicité aux antibacillaires (de type hépatiques dans 3 cas et neurologiques dans 2 cas). Le délai médian de décès était de 8,5 jours (5j; 17j). Les causes de décès retrouvées étaient: Une hépatite fulminante (3 cas), une décompensation acido-cétosique (3 cas), un SDRA (2 cas), des hémoptysies foudroyantes (2 cas), et respectivement un cas secondaire à une décompensation de BPCO, une décompensation cardiaque, une hypoglycémie et un tableau d'anasarque. Cette étude suggère que le terrain, le retard diagnostique et les effets secondaires du traitement sont les principaux facteurs de risque de mortalité chez les patients hospitalisés pour tuberculose pulmonaire.