Introduction: Tuberculous empyema (TE) in children is common in high-TB burden and medical resource-limited areas. However, studies that evaluate the characteristics of TE in children are sparse. This study aimed to analyze the clinical features of pediatric TE receiving surgical intervention.
Methods: We performed a retrospective study of children with empyema secondary to community-acquired pneumonia who underwent surgery in our institution. The clinical characteristics were compared between TE and empyema secondary non-tuberculosis infection (non-tuberculosis empyema, NTE).
Results: One hundred patients were included (27 with TE and 73 with NTE). Stage 3 empyema occupied 81.5% and 45.2% of TE and NTE in this study. The TE children had older age, longer duration of illness, and milder symptoms. Pleural fluid culture was positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis in 7.4% of patients with TE. Lymph node enlargement, lymph node calcification, and pleural nodules presented in TE with high specificity (93.2%, 98.6%, and 98.5%) but low sensitivity (33.3%, 14.8%, and 29.6%) on CT scan. Thoracoscopy surgery was performed in 14 (51.9%) in TE and 39 (53.4%) in NTE. Postoperative chest-tube indwelling time was longer (7.85 ± 5.00 vs. 4.89 ± 1.81 days, p < .001), and more patients had incomplete lung expansion after 3 months in TE.
Conclusion: Tuberculosis infection should be screened in management of children with empyema in high-TB burden areas. Pediatric TE usually presented at older age and with milder respiratory symptoms. Pleural biopsy during surgery is often necessary to confirm the cause of infection. Thoracotomy is still required in some pediatric TE or NTE with delayed treatment in medical resource-limited area.
Keywords: children; empyema; tuberculosis.
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