[Approach to diagnosing tuberculosis of intrathoracic lymph nodes of a paraaortic group in children]

Probl Tuberk Bolezn Legk. 2007:(12):14-7.
[Article in Russian]

Abstract

A hundred and seventeen patients aged 3 to 14 years, with suspected tuberculosis of intrathoracic lymph nodes (ILN) of a paraaortic group in the phase of calcination, were examined at the Clinic of Childhood Pulmonary Tuberculosis, Saint Petersburg Research Institute of Phthisiology. The comprehensive examination made the diagnosis of tuberculosis be cancelled in 35% of cases and confirmed in 65%, by determining the phase and extent of a specific inflammation. In 8.5% the local manifestations of the disease were absent along with the significant symptoms of intoxication and with the activity of tuberculous infection, which gave grounds to establish the diagnosis of tuberculous intoxication. Despite the fact that computed tomography revealed aortic ligament calcification, enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes were detected in 35%. High tuberculous infection activity and mediastinal ILN lesion in different phases of the specific inflammation were found in 15.4%, which was indicative of the chronic course of inflammation. The first detected isolated calcification in the paraaortic group of lymph nodes was diagnosed in 5.9%. The use of the presented complex, the diagnostic efficiency of which was 98%, significantly enhanced the diagnosis and reduced the number of errors in making the diagnosis.

Publication types

  • English Abstract

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Calcinosis / pathology
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Lymph Nodes / pathology*
  • Male
  • Para-Aortic Bodies / pathology*
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Tomography, Spiral Computed
  • Tuberculin Test
  • Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / diagnosis*