Abstract:AbstractChildren bear a substantial part of the tuberculosis
(TB) epidemic worldwide, and it is estimated that
there were ≅ 500.000 childhood TB cases globally in 2010,
although accurate data are problematic to obtain given
the many difficulties associated with TB diagnosis in children
and the weaknesses of surveillance systems in countries
where TB is endemic. The World Health Organization
is working hard in order to reduce the TB prevalence rates
and deaths by half by 2015. I… Show more
“…Two key factors are responsible for the diagnostic limitations in childhood TBM: (1) cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is a paucibacillary specimen type and (2) TB in children is often paucibacillary. In addition, TBM is difficult to treat and often responds poorly to conventional TB treatment (8,9).…”
BackgroundTo establish the sensitivity of the diagnostic criteria published by Marais and co-workers in 2010 for childhood tuberculous meningitis (TBM), a retrospective study on children with confirmed TBM was conducted.MethodsBetween January 2006 and December 2019, children consecutively diagnosed with TBM were recruited retrospectively at our center. TBM was defined in cases where any of the following criteria were met: the presence of acid-fast bacilli (AFB) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) microscopy, CSF nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT, +), or M.tuberculosis cultured from CSF. The demographic and clinical features of all enrolled patients were recorded including clinical characteristics, CSF findings, cerebral imaging features, and other evidence of TB.ResultsA total of 30 children with confirmed diagnosis of TBM over an 14-year period were recruited. The mean age of patients was 7.2 ± 5.1 years and 16 (53.3%) were male. The estimated mean diagnostic score was 12.7 ± 2.4. Twenty-three (76.7%; 95% CI: 59.1–88.2%) patients were classified as “probable TBM” according to the Marais criteria and 7 (23.3%; 95% CI: 11.8–40.9%) as “possible TBM.” Further statistical analysis revealed significant differences in CSF scores between probable and possible TBM groups. Other variables reported at a relatively low frequency, such as symptoms and imaging features, made little contribution to TBM diagnosis according to the Marais criteria.ConclusionChildhood TBM could be effectively identified by the criteria defined by Marais et al. However, further revision is required to ensure that the system is more sensitive and easier to perform in practice.
“…Two key factors are responsible for the diagnostic limitations in childhood TBM: (1) cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is a paucibacillary specimen type and (2) TB in children is often paucibacillary. In addition, TBM is difficult to treat and often responds poorly to conventional TB treatment (8,9).…”
BackgroundTo establish the sensitivity of the diagnostic criteria published by Marais and co-workers in 2010 for childhood tuberculous meningitis (TBM), a retrospective study on children with confirmed TBM was conducted.MethodsBetween January 2006 and December 2019, children consecutively diagnosed with TBM were recruited retrospectively at our center. TBM was defined in cases where any of the following criteria were met: the presence of acid-fast bacilli (AFB) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) microscopy, CSF nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT, +), or M.tuberculosis cultured from CSF. The demographic and clinical features of all enrolled patients were recorded including clinical characteristics, CSF findings, cerebral imaging features, and other evidence of TB.ResultsA total of 30 children with confirmed diagnosis of TBM over an 14-year period were recruited. The mean age of patients was 7.2 ± 5.1 years and 16 (53.3%) were male. The estimated mean diagnostic score was 12.7 ± 2.4. Twenty-three (76.7%; 95% CI: 59.1–88.2%) patients were classified as “probable TBM” according to the Marais criteria and 7 (23.3%; 95% CI: 11.8–40.9%) as “possible TBM.” Further statistical analysis revealed significant differences in CSF scores between probable and possible TBM groups. Other variables reported at a relatively low frequency, such as symptoms and imaging features, made little contribution to TBM diagnosis according to the Marais criteria.ConclusionChildhood TBM could be effectively identified by the criteria defined by Marais et al. However, further revision is required to ensure that the system is more sensitive and easier to perform in practice.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.