Analysis of 170 cases of congenital TB reported in the literature between 1946 and 2009

Abstract

The majority of infants with congenital tuberculosis onset within 2-3 weeks after delivery had no specific manifestations. Anti-tuberculosis medication could reduce the mortality. The age of onset, presence of intracranial lesions, anti-tuberculosis treatment, specific image performances and leukocyte count were related to the prognosis of congenital tuberculosis.

Congenital Tuberculosis because of Misdiagnosed Maternal Pulmonary Tuberculosis during Pregnancy

“…In our case, consistent with previous reports (11,12), the infant presented at the age of 18 days with hepatomegaly, lethargy, and poor feeding, which are 3 of 5 common clinical manifestations from recent reviews (65.6z, 39.7z, and 39.1z, respectively), whereas the other two common presentations are fever and respiratory distress (64.4z and 63.8z respectively). Moreover, in our case, the clinical manifestations were not improved after antibiotic administration, and, in general, preterm infants have a significantly higher mortality rate compared with term infants (5). Therefore, due to the difficulty of early diagnosis, congenital tuberculosis should be considered when the infants present with following symptoms: (i) respiratory distress, hepatosplenomegaly, and fever within 3 months after birth; (ii) clinical manifestations Moreover, pneumothorax developed in our patient after RDS and positive-pressure mechanical ventilation.…”

“…Congenital tuberculosis is a rare disease associated with a high mortality rate of up to 44z (3); less than 300 cases of congenital tuberculosis were reported worldwide before 1984, and over 80 additional cases have been reported thereafter (3,4). The clinical manifestations of congenital tuberculosis are difficult to distinguish from those of bacterial sepsis or viral infection due to nonspecific symptoms (5). Mothers who gave birth to an infant with congenital tuberculosis usually lacked clinical manifestations, and half of them were not diagnosed with tuberculosis until their infants had been diagnosed (5,6).…”

“…The clinical manifestations of congenital tuberculosis are difficult to distinguish from those of bacterial sepsis or viral infection due to nonspecific symptoms (5). Mothers who gave birth to an infant with congenital tuberculosis usually lacked clinical manifestations, and half of them were not diagnosed with tuberculosis until their infants had been diagnosed (5,6). Here, we report an infant with congenital tuberculosis who was born to a mother with misdiagnosed with maternally active pulmonary tuberculosis during pregnancy.…”

Congenital tuberculosis: a case series

“…Hepatomegaly is found in 76%, respiratory distress in 72%, fever in 48% and lymphadenopathy in 38% 7 . Prognostic factors include age of onset, presence of intracranial lesions, ATDs, specific image performances and leukocyte count 8 .…”

Tuberculosis and Pregnancy: An Updated Systematic Review

“…5 Maternal TB is a risk factor for child TB. Congenital TB is rare, 6 but the risk of transmission to the infant in the postpartum period is higher due to inhalation of aerial droplets coughed out by the mother. One study in South Africa detected TB in 16% of neonates born to mothers with suspected or proven TB.…”