Risks for Pediatric Central Nervous System Tuberculosis

Children who were aged <5 years, U.S.-born, or Hispanic were at elevated risk for CNS TB in California.

Central nervous system tuberculosis (CNS TB) carries a high risk for death (20%) or neurologic sequelae (50%). Among children, those aged <5 years are at greatest risk. To determine other risk factors for pediatric CNS TB, researchers described 200 cases reported in California from 1993 to 2011. Results were as follows:

A majority of patients were aged <5 years (72%), Hispanic (75%), U.S.-born (82%), and had at least one foreign-born parent (77%).
Although non-CNS TB case rates declined from 7 to 2 per 100,000 children, the proportion of TB cases involving the CNS trended upward (P=0.0047).
In multivariate analysis, children with CNS TB were more likely to be aged <5 years (odds ratio, 3.3), U.S.-born (OR, 1.8), and Hispanic (OR, 1.5) compared…

Reviewing Author

Louis M. Bell, MD

Disclosures

Grant/Research SupportNIH Institutional Clinical and Translational Science Award; Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality National Center for Pediatric Practice Based Research Learning; Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute

Editorial BoardsCurrent Problems in Pediatric Adolescent Healthcare

Leadership Positions in Professional Societies College of Physicians of Philadelphia (Board of Trustees)

Louis M. Bell, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsCurrent Problems in Pediatric Adolescent Healthcare

Leadership Positions in Professional Societies College of Physicians of Philadelphia (Board of Trustees)

Risks for Pediatric Central Nervous System Tuberculosis

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Reviewing Author