Standardized radiographic interpretation of thoracic tuberculosis in children

Chest X-Ray Features of Drug Resistance Tuberculosis in Pediatric Population; A Prospective Study in High-Endemic Area

OBJECTIVE

To identify chest X-ray (CXR) characteristic of Pediatric pulmonary drug-resistant tuberculosis (DRTB) in comparison to drug sensitive tuberculosis (DSTB) for early identification and treatment of DRTB.

METHODS

This was a prospective cross-sectional study in which CXR patterns of DS and DR patients aged 1 month to 18 years were categorized into different variants including pleural effusion, cavity lesion, hilar or mediastinal lymph node (LN), consolidation, pneumothorax, pericardial effusion, miliary TB, nodular shadow, and collapse. The consensus between the pulmonary physician and radiologist was measured using weighted kappa test. Adjusted logistic regression analysis was used to identify DRTB suggestive CXR pattern.

RESULTS

From June 1, 2022 to May 31, 2023, 237 pulmonary TB subjects were recruited. Out of 175 DSTB subjects, 47 were below the age of 12 and 128 were above the age of 12. 62 were microbiologically confirmed DRTB where 12 were below the age of 12 and 50 were above the age of 12. Cavitary TB lesions (p = 0.001) and Consolidation (p = 0.003) were found significant in DR patients. Adjusting for age, gender, socioeconomic status DRTB was associated with cavity lesion (OR = 2.62; 95% CI = 1.39-4.93; p = 0.001) and consolidation (OR = 2.29; 95% CI = 1.27-4.14; p = 0.003).

CONCLUSION

We conclude that presence of cavitary lesion or consolidation in "presumptive" or "probable" DRTB patients should alert pediatricians. Our findings suggest that these DR suggestive CXR pattern can guide for early start of therapy while awaiting microbiological report.

Comparative thoracic radiography in healthy and tuberculosis-positive sun bears (Helarctos malayanus)

Early and accurate diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) is key to effective outbreak management, and in humans thoracic radiography is used extensively for screening purposes. In wildlife TB radiography is a relatively accessible diagnostic tool, particularly in under-resourced settings, however its use is limited by body size. Sun bears are susceptible to human-associated TB, and their small body size makes thoracic radiography feasible. However, there are no established guidelines on normal thoracic radiographs or radiographic manifestations of TB in this species. We provide a first description of thoracic radiographs from healthy and TB affected sun bears at a bear rescue sanctuary, including correlation with postmortem results for a subset of bears. Findings of two veterinary radiologists, blinded to clinical information, revealed high agreement on broad categorization of radiographic studies as normal, abnormal, or needing correlation with further information. Agreement was lower for the presence of specific lung patterns, reflecting inherent subjectivity when classifying these features. Very few studies were identified as definitively normal, however definitively abnormal studies were significantly associated with TB cases. Diffuse bronchial and/or bronchointerstitital lung patterns were commonly reported, with a high proportion needing correlation with age and/or clinical signs to further interpret. Interstitial, interstitial-to-alveolar, alveolar and nodular lung patterns, along with radiographic signs of lymphadenomegaly and pleural fluid, were almost exclusively found in TB cases, however the sensitivity of the presence of any of these changes for detecting TB was below 70%. Radiographic reporting of thoracic lymph node enlargement detected at postmortem was low (4/17; 23%), and aortic outflow tract dilation and positional atelectasis were differential diagnoses for radiographic changes that could also represent TB. Together these findings demonstrate the importance of developing species-specific criteria for interpretation, to differentiate between common findings and manifestations of TB, and to highlight areas where radiographic techniques can be optimized to assist this. Given TB remains a global health challenge in humans and other animals (wild or domestic), and detection is key to control, we recommend development of standardized approaches to radiographic studies and their interpretation to bolster diagnostic pathways for detecting TB in sun bears, and other novel or understudied hosts.

Approaches and processes for paediatric chest X-ray classification used in the SHINE TB treatment-shortening trial

INTRODUCTION

SHINE (Shorter Treatment for Minimal Tuberculosis in Children) was the first Phase 3 paediatric TB treatment-shortening trial. Robust chest X-ray (CXR) classification methods were integral to excluding severe disease for trial eligibility and to retrospectively adjudicating TB status at baseline. We describe and critically evaluate the CXR classification approaches and processes used in the SHINE trial.

METHODS

Children with non-severe TB were randomised to 4- vs 6-months anti-TB treatment. Radiologically non-severe TB was defined on CXR. CXRs were systematically interpreted by on-site clinicians prospectively for eligibility determination and retrospectively by experts to inform adjudication of baseline TB status and disease severity.

RESULTS

A screening CXR was successfully obtained from all 1,204 enrolled children; 1,134 CXRs from children with intra-thoracic TB were reviewed by expert readers. Compared with the expert panel, enrolling clinicians classified more CXRs as abnormal and 'typical TB' and all as radiologically non-severe. The expert panel retrospectively classified 71/1,134 (6%) CXRs as severe. Of these, 4 (5.6%) had unfavourable outcomes compared with 34 (3.0%) in the trial overall.

DISCUSSION

Using CXRs to classify radiological disease severity and inform eligibility decisions in real-time by local enrolling clinicians was feasible and safe in this large paediatric TB trial. Retrospective central expert CXR review was successful. Refinement of the CXR methods for the classification of both disease severity and TB status could support standardised implementation in routine care and research..

Pediatric tuberculosis in Mexico: A retrospective analysis of 100 patients

Background

Analyzing the epidemiology and clinical manifestations of pediatric tuberculosis in endemic regions is crucial to meet the goal of ending tuberculosis. The objective was to assess the various clinical scenarios of tuberculosis in a large pediatric cohort in Mexico.

Methods

This retrospective study from a pediatric referral center in Mexico included patients diagnosed with tuberculosis from 2012 to 2021. We analyzed clinical data and diagnostic study results, including demographic characteristics, underlying medical conditions, BCG vaccination, clinical presentation, imaging findings, microbiologic data, treatment, and clinical outcomes. Basic descriptive statistics and Chi-squared analysis were performed to summarize the metadata of pediatric patients with different clinical presentations of tuberculosis and evaluate their association with mortality, respectively.

Results

A total of 100 patients were included with a mean age of 7.76 years ± 1.49 years. The most prevalent clinical presentation was pulmonary tuberculosis (n = 51). Only 51 patients were immunized with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccine. The most commons symptoms were fever, cough and weight loss. Among patients with meningeal tuberculosis (n = 14), the most common clinical signs were seizures, fever, and vomiting. Cure was achieved in 52 patients, 12 patients died, and 36 continue in treatment. Clinical presentation of tuberculosis (p-value = 0.009) and immunodeficiency (p-value = 0.015) were significantly associated with mortality.

Conclusions

Increasing the visibility of tuberculosis is imperative to end this disease. We report relevant clinical data of a large pediatric tuberculosis cohort, stratified by the different forms of disease. A high index of suspicion of tuberculosis is required for a timely diagnosis and treatment initiation, particularly among immunocompromised individuals, in whom mortality is higher.

Diagnostic performance of a novel ESAT6-CFP10 skin test for tuberculosis infection in school tuberculosis outbreak in China

Background

The ESAT6-CFP10 (EC) skin test is recommended by the World Health Organization for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). However, it is still unknown how the EC skin test performs in students during a school tuberculosis outbreak.

Methods

We conducted an epidemiological investigation to assess the performance of the EC skin test in this high-risk population.

Results

A total of 9 active student patients were confirmed in the same class as the index case, with an incidence rate of 18.0% (9/50). Among the 50 close contacts, 14 (28%) were over 15 years old and had a chest X-ray (CXR), and none of them had abnormal CXR findings. The rates of positive tuberculin skin test (TST) ≥ 5 mm and < 10 mm, ≥ 10 mm and < 15 mm, and ≥ 15 mm were 12.0% (6/50), 16.0% (8/50), and 10.0% (5/50), respectively. On the second screening, 44 students with the same class as the index case had the EC skin test, of which 31 (70.5%) had positive EC tests. All patients had negative sputum smear results, of whom 4 (44.4%) had positive Xpert results; three had a TST induration diameter between 5 mm and 10 mm, but all of them had an EC diameter > 15 mm; 5 (55.6%) had abnormal CXR results, but all the confirmed patients had abnormal CT results; Except for four cases that were diagnosed by Xpert, the remaining five were confirmed by CT scan.

Conclusion

The novel EC skin test performed well in students during the school tuberculosis outbreak. In some special conditions, such as when the index case is bacteriologically positive for tuberculosis and the rate of LTBI is higher than the average for the local same-age group, secondary screening is recommended 2-3 months after the first screening. Furthermore, we cannot ignore the role of CT in the diagnosis of early student tuberculosis.

Prevalence and Clinical Characteristics of Children With Nonsevere Tuberculosis in Spain

BACKGROUND

To assess the prevalence and characteristics of nonsevere TB among children in Spain. It has been recently demonstrated that these children can be treated with a 4-month regimen instead of the classical 6-month treatment regimen, with the same effectivity and outcomes, decreasing toxicity and improving adherence.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cohort study in a cohort of children ≤16 years of age with TB. Nonsevere TB cases included smear-negative children with respiratory TB confined to 1 lobe, with no significant airway obstruction, no complex pleural effusion, no cavities and no signs of miliary disease, or with peripheral lymph-node disease. The remaining children were considered to have severe TB. We estimated the prevalence of nonsevere TB and compared the clinical characteristics and outcomes between children with nonsevere and severe TB.

RESULTS

A total of 780 patients were included [46.9% males, median age 5.5 years (IQR: 2.6-11.1)], 477 (61.1%) of whom had nonsevere TB. Nonsevere TB was less frequent in children <1 year (33% vs 67%; P < 0.001), and >14 years of age (35% vs 65%; P = 0.002), mostly diagnosed in contact tracing studies (60.4% vs 29.2%; P < 0.001) and more frequently asymptomatic (38.3% vs 17.7%; P < 0.001). TB confirmation in nonsevere disease was less frequent by culture (27.0% vs 57.1%; P < 0.001) and by molecular tests (18.2% vs 48.8%; P < 0.001). Sequelae were less frequent in children with nonsevere disease (1.7 vs 5.4%; P < 0.001). No child with nonsevere disease died.

CONCLUSIONS

Two-thirds of children had nonsevere TB, mostly with benign clinical presentation and negative microbiologic results. In low-burden countries, most children with TB might benefit from short-course regimens.

Evolving role of chest radiographs for diagnosis of pediatric pulmonary tuberculosis

Chest radiographs (CXR) have played an important and evolving role in diagnosis, classification and management of pediatric pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). During the pre-chemotherapy era, CXR aided in determining infectiousness, mainly to guide isolation practices, by detecting calcified and non-calcified lymphadenopathy. The availability of TB chemotherapy from the mid-1900s increased the urgency to find accurate diagnostic tools for what had become a treatable disease. Chest radiographs provided the mainstay of diagnosis in children, despite high inter-reader variability limiting its accuracy. The development of cross-sectional imaging modalities, such as computed tomography, provided more accurate intra-thoracic lymph node assessment, but these modalities have major availability, cost and radiation exposure disadvantages. As a consequence, CXR remains the most widely used modality for childhood  pulmonary TB diagnosis, given its relatively low cost and accessibility. Publication of the revised 2022 World Health Organization Consolidated TB guidelines added practical value to CXR interpretation in children, by allowing the selection of children for shorter TB treatment using radiological signs of severity of disease, that have high reliability. This article provides a review of the historical journey and evolving role of CXR in pediatric pulmonary TB.

Global resources in the fight against tuberculosis

Tuberculosis continues to be a significant cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide, particularly in developing countries. Diagnosis and treatment of paediatric patients presents a challenge that can only be improved by the joint efforts of the international community, working together in cooperation and partnership. This article reviews global resources available to doctors and healthcare professionals in the fight against TB, including international programmes, policies and healthcare pathways. Special attention is paid to the role of international paediatric radiology in improving diagnostics, including available educational resources and support on a global, regional, national and individual level.

Comparison of chest radiograph findings in ambulatory and hospitalized children with pulmonary tuberculosis

BACKGROUND

The diagnosis of childhood tuberculosis (TB) is, in many instances, solely reliant on chest radiographs (CXRs), as they are often the only diagnostic tool available, especially in TB-endemic areas. Accuracy and reliability of CXRs for detecting TB lymphadenopathy may vary between groups depending on severity of presentation and presence of parenchymal disease, which may obscure visualization.

OBJECTIVE

To compare CXR findings in ambulatory versus hospitalized children with laboratory confirmed pulmonary TB versus other lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) and test inter-rater agreement for these findings.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Retrospective review, by two pediatric radiologists, of CXRs performed on children < 12 years old referred for evaluation of LRTI with clinical suspicion of pulmonary TB in inpatient and outpatient settings. Each radiologist commented on imaging findings of parenchymal changes, lymphadenopathy, airway compression and pleural effusion. Frequency of imaging findings was compared between patients based on location and diagnosis and inter-rater agreement was determined. Accuracy of radiographic diagnosis was compared to laboratory testing which served as the gold standard.

RESULTS

The number of enrolled patients was 181 (54% males); 69 (38%) were ambulatory and 112 (62%) were hospitalized. Of those enrolled, 87 (48%) were confirmed to have pulmonary TB, while 94 (52%) were other LRTI controls. Lymphadenopathy and airway compression were more common in TB patients than other LRTI controls, regardless of patient location. Parenchymal changes and pleural effusion were more common in hospitalized than ambulatory patients, regardless of patient diagnosis. Agreement for parenchymal changes was higher in the hospitalized group (kappa [κ] = 0.75), while agreement for lymphadenopathy (κ = 0.65) and airway compression (κ = 0.68) was higher in the ambulatory group. The specificity of CXRs for TB diagnosis (> 75%) was higher than the sensitivity (< 50%) for both ambulatory and hospitalized groups.

CONCLUSION

Higher frequency of parenchymal changes among hospitalized children may conceal specific imaging findings of TB such as lymphadenopathy, contributing to the poor reliability of CXRs. Despite this, the high specificity of CXRs shown in our results is encouraging for continued use of radiographs for TB diagnosis in both settings.

Imaging recommendations and algorithms for pediatric tuberculosis: part 1-thoracic tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a global health problem and is the second leading cause of death from a single infectious agent, behind the novel coronavirus disease of 2019. Children are amongst the most vulnerable groups affected by TB, and imaging manifestations are different in children when compared to adults. TB primarily involves the lungs and mediastinal lymph nodes. Clinical history, physical examination, laboratory examinations and various medical imaging tools are combined to establish the diagnosis. Even though chest radiography is the accepted initial radiological imaging modality for the evaluation of children with TB, this paper, the first of two parts, aims to discuss the advantages and limitations of the various medical imaging modalities and to provide recommendations on which is most appropriate for the initial diagnosis and assessment of possible complications of pulmonary TB in children. Practical, evidence-based imaging algorithms are also presented.

Update on the diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis

According to World Health Organization estimates, more than 1 million patients aged less than 15 years develop tuberculosis (TB) each year worldwide. In some regions, up to 25% of new TB cases are caused by drug-resistant strains. Although Spain is considered a low-incidence country, several hundred children and adolescents develop TB each year. The importance of paediatric TB has been minimized for years due to the lack of microbiological confirmation in many patients and because these patients are not usually contagious. Nevertheless, in the past 15 years there have been major improvements in the epidemiological reporting of TB in children and adolescents, new immunodiagnostic tests have been developed, molecular methods that allow rapid microbiological diagnosis and detection of variants associated with drug resistance have become available, novel second-line antituberculosis drugs have been discovered, including for paediatric use, and the results of clinical trials have validated shorter courses of treatment for some patients. This document, developed by a group of experts from the Sociedad Española de Infectología Pediátrica and the Sociedad Española de Neumología Pediátrica, updates and complements the previous guidelines for the diagnostic and therapeutic management of children with TB in Spain based on the newly available scientific evidence.

Optimising computer aided detection to identify intra-thoracic tuberculosis on chest x-ray in South African children

Diagnostic tools for paediatric tuberculosis remain limited, with heavy reliance on clinical algorithms which include chest x-ray. Computer aided detection (CAD) for tuberculosis on chest x-ray has shown promise in adults. We aimed to measure and optimise the performance of an adult CAD system, CAD4TB, to identify tuberculosis on chest x-rays from children with presumptive tuberculosis. Chest x-rays from 620 children <13 years enrolled in a prospective observational diagnostic study in South Africa, were evaluated. All chest x-rays were read by a panel of expert readers who attributed each with a radiological reference of either 'tuberculosis' or 'not tuberculosis'. Of the 525 chest x-rays included in this analysis, 80 (40 with a reference of 'tuberculosis' and 40 with 'not tuberculosis') were allocated to an independent test set. The remainder made up the training set. The performance of CAD4TB to identify 'tuberculosis' versus 'not tuberculosis' on chest x-ray against the radiological reference read was calculated. The CAD4TB software was then fine-tuned using the paediatric training set. We compared the performance of the fine-tuned model to the original model. Our findings were that the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of the original CAD4TB model, prior to fine-tuning, was 0.58. After fine-tuning there was an improvement in the AUC to 0.72 (p = 0.0016). In this first-ever description of the use of CAD to identify tuberculosis on chest x-ray in children, we demonstrate a significant improvement in the performance of CAD4TB after fine-tuning with a set of well-characterised paediatric chest x-rays. CAD has the potential to be a useful additional diagnostic tool for paediatric tuberculosis. We recommend replicating the methods we describe using a larger chest x-ray dataset from a more diverse population and evaluating the potential role of CAD to replace a human-read chest x-ray within treatment-decision algorithms for paediatric tuberculosis.

Recurrent Tuberculosis Treatment Episodes in Children Presenting With Presumptive Pulmonary Tuberculosis in Cape Town, South Africa

BACKGROUND

Limited data are available on tuberculosis (TB) recurrence in children. The aim of this study was to explore the burden of and risk factors for recurrent TB treatment in children.

METHODS

A prospective, observational cohort study of children (0-13 years) presenting with presumptive pulmonary TB in Cape Town, South Africa from March 2012 to March 2017. Recurrent TB was defined as more than 1 episode of TB treatment (microbiologically confirmed and unconfirmed).

RESULTS

Of 620 children enrolled with presumptive pulmonary TB, data of 608 children were reviewed for TB recurrence after exclusions. The median age was 16.7 [interquartile range (IQR) 9.5-33.3] months, 324 (53.3%) were male and 72 (11.8%) children living with HIV (CLHIV). TB was diagnosed in 297 out of 608 (48.8%), of whom 26 had previously received TB treatment, giving a prevalence of 8.8% recurrence: 22 (84.6%) had 1 and 4 (15.4%) had 2 prior TB treatment episodes. The median age of children with recurrent TB was 47.5 (IQR: 20.8-82.5) months at the current episode: 19 out of 26 (73.1%) were CLHIV, of whom 12 out of 19 (63.2%) were on antiretroviral therapy for a median 43.1 months and all 12 for longer than 6 months. None of the 9 children on antiretroviral treatment with available viral load (VL) data were virally suppressed (median VL, 22,983 copies/ml). Three of 26 (11.6%) children had documented microbiologically confirmed TB at 2 episodes. Four children (15.4%) received drug-resistant TB treatment at recurrence.

CONCLUSIONS

There was a high rate of recurrent treatment for TB in this cohort of young children, with CLHIV at the highest risk.

Tuberculosis contact-tracing results in childhood: a retrospective study in a tertiary-care children's hospital in Turkey

BACKGROUND

Smear-positive adults with tuberculosis are the main source of childhood tuberculosis. The evaluation of children exposed to tuberculosis and determination of the disease stages are the cornerstones of managing childhood tuberculosis.

AIM

To determine the frequency of tuberculous contact, latent tuberculosis infection and tuberculosis disease in children who were in contact with smear-positive adults.

METHODS

This is a single-centre, retrospective study. The medical records of children exposed to tuberculosis (<18 years old) between 2014 and 2018 were investigated. After diagnosing the index cases, the children were referred to the hospital. To identify the children in contact with adults with tuberculosis, a careful medical history, demographic features and physical examination, tuberculin skin test, postero-anterior and lateral chest radiographs, and, if necessary, chest computed tomography and microbiological tests were undertaken. The children's final diagnosis, treatment regimens and follow-up were documented. The sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative predictive values, tuberculin skin test and chest radiograph imaging were assessed and compared with computed tomography results.

RESULTS

A total of 150 paediatric patients were exposed to 88 index cases. These were fathers in 29.3% of cases and mothers in 10% of cases. Of the children, 131 (87.3%) were asymptomatic, and physical examination was normal in all children, apart from one who had respiratory symptoms. The tuberculin skin test results were positive in 60 (43%) patients and chest radiograph was abnormal in 100 (66%) children. Findings were consistent with tuberculosis in 34 (40%) of the 84 patients who underwent computed tomography. Fifty (38.5%) of the remaining children were defined as having been in contact with a case of tuberculosis, 41 (31.5%) had latent tuberculous infection and 39 (30%) had tuberculosis disease.

CONCLUSION

Pulmonary tuberculosis is asymptomatic in most children but with meticulous use of computed tomography it can be detected in asymptomatic children who have had close contact with tuberculosis.Abbreviation: AFB: acid-fast bacilli; AUC: area under the curve; BCG: bacillus Calmette-Guérin; CI: confidence interval; CT: computed tomography; CXR: chest radiograph; HIV: human immunodeficiency virus; ICD-10: International Classification of Diseases 10; LTBI: latent tuberculosis infection; MDR-TB: multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis; NPV: negative predictive value; PCR: polymerase chain reaction; PPV: positive predictive value; ROC: receiver operating characteristics; SD: standard deviation; TB: tuberculosis; TST: tuberculin skin test; XDR-TB: extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis.

Giant Rasmussen's aneurysm in a 9-year-old boy: A case report

Rasmussen's aneurysm is a pseudoaneurysm caused by tuberculosis, when cavitation occurs adjacent to a pulmonary artery, which can be lethal. It is a rare complication usually affecting adults. This is a case of an 9-year-old boy initially admitted for pneumonia that developed hemoptysis during admission. Chest X-ray done after this episode showed development of a left hilar mass not present in the previous studies. A chest CT with contrast subsequently revealed a saccular aneurysm arising from the left lower lobe pulmonary artery adjacent to a cavity, a Rasmussen's aneurysm. The patient was treated conservatively with continuation of anti-TB medication and serial monitoring due to the size of the aneurysm being less than 6 cm and spontaneous resolution of the hemoptysis. This report stresses that a Rasmussen's aneurysm should always be in the differential diagnosis of a hilar mass in a patient with hemoptysis, regardless of the patient's age.

The Diagnostic Accuracy of Chest Radiographic Features for Pediatric Intrathoracic Tuberculosis

INTRODUCTION

The chest radiograph (CR) remains a key tool in the diagnosis of pediatric tuberculosis (TB). In children with presumptive intrathoracic TB, we aimed to identify CR features that had high specificity for, and were strongly associated with, bacteriologically confirmed TB.

METHODS

We analyzed CR data from children with presumptive intrathoracic TB prospectively enrolled in a cohort study in a high-TB burden setting and who were classified using standard clinical case definitions as "confirmed," "unconfirmed," or "unlikely" TB. We report the CR features and inter-reader agreement between expert readers who interpreted the CRs. We calculated the sensitivity and specificity of the CR features with at least moderate inter-reader agreement and analyzed the relationship between these CR 
features and the classification of TB in a multivariable regression model.

RESULTS

Of features with at least moderate inter-reader agreement, enlargement of perihilar and/or paratracheal lymph nodes, bronchial deviation/compression, cavities, expansile pneumonia, and pleural effusion had a specificity of > 90% for confirmed TB, compared with unlikely TB. Enlargement of perihilar (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 6.6; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.80-11.72) and/or paratracheal lymph nodes (aOR: 5.14; 95% CI, 2.25-12.58), bronchial deviation/compression (aOR: 6.22; 95% CI, 2.70-15.69), pleural effusion (aOR: 2.27; 95% CI, 1.04-4.78), and cavities (aOR: 7.45; 95% CI, 3.38-17.45) were associated with confirmed TB in the multivariate regression model, whereas alveolar opacification (aOR: 1.16; 95% CI, .76-1.77) and expansile pneumonia (aOR: 4.16; 95% CI, .93-22.34) were not.

CONCLUSIONS

In children investigated for intrathoracic TB enlargement of perihilar or paratracheal lymph nodes, bronchial compression/deviation, pleural effusion, or cavities on CR strongly support the diagnosis.

Pediatric mediastinal masses

Mediastinal masses are categorized based on the International Thymic Malignancy Interest Group (ITMIG) classification into prevascular, visceral and paravertebral compartments. The schema is based on cross-sectional imaging, mainly CT, and helps with generating a differential diagnosis based on location of the mass. Up to half of all pediatric mediastinal tumors are malignant. In this review we describe mediastinal masses that are relevant to the pediatric population, as well as the role of MR imaging of mediastinal masses and its advantages.

Röntgenuntersuchungen des Thorax bei Kindern und Jugendlichen

Klinisches Problem

Die Röntgenaufnahme des Thorax ist die häufigste konventionelle Röntgenuntersuchung im Kindes- und Jugendalter. Das Ziel dieser Übersichtsarbeit ist es, den Benefit der Röntgenmodalität, aber auch ihre Limitationen darzulegen.

Methode

Neugeborene erhalten verglichen mit älteren Kindern proportional die häufigsten Röntgenaufnahmen des Thorax. Nach der Neugeborenenperiode setzt diese Übersichtsarbeit einen Fokus auf die Diagnostik entzündlicher Lungenveränderungen, die Fremdkörperaspiration, die Detektion von Rundherden und die zystische Fibrose.

Methodische Innovationen

Aufgrund verbesserter Technologien sinkt die Strahlenexposition konventioneller Thoraxaufnahmen kontinuierlich. Jedoch werden die anderen Bildgebungsmodalitäten ebenfalls stetig optimiert, so dass insbesondere die strahlungsfreien Alternativen Magnetresonanztomographie (MRT) und Sonographie bei Vorliegen einer bestimmten klinischen Fragestellung in Erwägung gezogen werden sollen.

Empfehlung für die Praxis

Auch wenn die diagnostische Aussagekraft von Röntgen-Thorax-Aufnahmen häufig geringer als von Computertomographie (CT) oder MRT ist, hat sie weiterhin aufgrund ihrer ubiquitären Verfügbarkeit und der relativ einfachen Durchführbarkeit einen hohen Stellenwert im Kindes- und Jugendalter.

Reproducibility of a protocol for standardized reading of chest X-rays of children household contact of patients with tuberculosis

BACKGROUND

The interpretation of the chest radiograph may vary because it depends on the reader and due to the non-specificity of findings in tuberculosis (TB). We aim to assess the reproducibility of a standardized chest radiograph reading protocol in contacts of patients with pulmonary TB under the 5 years of age.

METHODS

Descriptive, cross-sectional study with children under the age of five, household contacts of patients with confirmed pulmonary TB from Medellín, Bello and Itagüí (Colombia) between Jan-01-2015 and May-31-2016. Standardized reading protocol: two radiologists, blinded independent reading, use of template (Dr. Andronikou design) in case of disagreement a third reading was performed. Kappa coefficient for intra and inter observer agreement, and prevalence ratio were estimated of sociodemographic characteristics, TB exposure and interpretation of chest X-ray.

RESULTS

From 278 children, standardized reading found 255 (91.7%) normal X-rays, 10 (3.6%) consistent with TB, and 13 (4.7%) other alterations. Global agreement was 91.3% (Kappa = 0.51). Inter-observer agreement between readers 1-2 was 90.0% (Kappa = 0.59) and 1-3 93.2% (Kappa = 0.59). Intra-observer agreement for reader 1 was 95.5% (Kappa = 0.86), 2 84.0% (Kappa = 0.51), and 3 94.7% (Kappa = 0.68). Greater inter-observer disagreement was between readers 1-2 for soft tissue density suggestive of adenopathy (4.6%), airspace opacification (1.17%) and pleural effusion (0.58%); between readers 1-3 for soft tissue density suggestive of adenopathy (4.2%), opacification of airspace (2.5%) and cavities (0.8%).

CONCLUSIONS

Chest radiographs are an affordable tool that contributes to the diagnosis of TB, so having a standardized reading protocol showed good agreement and improves the reproducibility of radiograph interpretation.

[Chest X-rays in children and adolescents : Indications and limitations]

CLINICAL ISSUE

Chest X‑ray is the most commonly performed X‑ray examination in children and adolescents. The aim of this review is to present the benefit of this radiologic modality, but also its limitations.

METHODS

Compared with older children, most X‑ray examinations of the chest were performed in newborns. After the neonatal period, this review focusses on the diagnosis of inflammatory pulmonary changes, foreign body aspiration, detection of pulmonary nodules, and cystic fibrosis.

METHODOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS

The radiation exposure of X‑ray examinations is continuously decreasing due to technical innovations. However, other imaging modalities were also continuously being optimized; therefore, alternatives without radiation exposure, i.e., magnetic resonance imaging [MRI] and ultrasound, should be considered in case of specific clinical indications.

PRACTICAL RECOMMENDATION

Even if the diagnostic performance of chest X‑ray examinations is often minor compared to computed tomography or MRI, chest X‑ray still has a high value in children and adolescents, due to its ubiquitous availability and the relatively simple acquisition.

Chest Imaging for Pulmonary TB—An Update

The diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) in children is challenging. Difficulties in acquiring suitable specimens, pauci-bacillary load, and limitations of current diagnostic methods often make microbiological confirmation difficult. Chest imaging provides an additional diagnostic modality that is frequently used in clinical practice. Chest imaging can also provide insight into treatment response and identify development of disease complications. Despite widespread use, chest radiographs are usually non-specific and have high inter- and intra-observer variability. Other diagnostic imaging modalities such as ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can provide additional information to substantiate diagnosis. In this review, we discuss the radiological features of PTB in each modality, highlighting the advantages and limitations of each. We also address newer imaging technologies and potential use.

High rate of transmission in a pulmonary tuberculosis outbreak in a junior high school in China, 2020

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School tuberculosis outbreaks are common in China

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Students with PPD ≥ 15 mm are recommended to have prophylactic treatment

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More attention should be paid to students with PPD ≥ 10 mm and < 15 mm in school TB outbreaks

Background

School tuberculosis outbreaks are common in China. This study aimed to introduce a new screening process to help control outbreaks.

Methods

An epidemiological investigation into a school-based tuberculosis outbreak was conducted in order to identify the origin of the infection, and how it was transmitted.

Results

In total, 10 confirmed active tuberculosis cases were diagnosed among student contacts in the index case's class, giving an incidence rate of 19.2% (10/52). Three were found through a proactive visit and seven through screening. Of the nine secondary cases, two had purified protein derivation of tuberculin (PPD) ≥ 15 mm or blister (confirmed by computed tomography (CT) scan before preventive therapy), five had TST ≥ 10 mm and < 15 mm (two with abnormal chest radiography scan and three with positive T-SPOT tests, confirmed by CT) and two with PPD ≥ 5 mm and < 10 mm (confirmed by CT scan through proactive visit).

Conclusion

Further to our results based on this school outbreak, a new screening process is recommended that involves conducting interferon gamma release assays on those students with PPD ≥ 5 mm and < 15 mm if there are three or more active tuberculosis patients in the class with an epidemiological link. Furthermore, a CT scan is recommended for students who have had a recent tuberculosis infection before they have preventive therapy.

Pediatric Lower Respiratory Tract Infections: Imaging Guidelines and Recommendations

Lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality in children. Various organisms cause LRTI, including viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites, among others. Infections caused by 2 or more organisms also occur, sometimes enhancing the severity of the infection. Medical imaging helps confirm a diagnosis but also plays a role in the evaluation of acute and chronic sequelae. Medical imaging tests help evaluate underlying pathology in pediatric patients with recurrent or long-standing symptoms as well as the immunocompromised.

Mediastinal Masses in Children: Radiologic-Pathologic Correlation

Most pediatric masses in the chest are located in the mediastinum. These masses are often initially detected incidentally on chest radiographs in asymptomatic children, although some patients may present with respiratory symptoms. At chest radiography, the mediastinum has been anatomically divided into anterior, middle, and posterior compartments. However, with the International Thymic Malignancy Interest Group classification scheme, which is based on cross-sectional imaging findings, the mediastinum is divided into prevascular, visceral, and paravertebral compartments. In the prevascular compartment, tumors of thymic origin, lymphomas, germ cell tumors, and vascular tumors are encountered. In the visceral compartment, lymphadenopathy and masses related to the foregut are seen. In the paravertebral compartment, neurogenic tumors are most common. Using the anatomic location in combination with knowledge of the imaging and pathologic features of pediatric mediastinal masses aids in accurate diagnosis of these masses to guide treatment and management decisions. An invited commentary by Lee and Winant is available online. ^©RSNA, 2021.

Urine NMR-based TB metabolic fingerprinting for the diagnosis of TB in children

Tuberculosis (TB) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in children, and early diagnosis and treatment are crucial to reduce long-term morbidity and mortality. In this study, we explore whether urine nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based metabolomics could be used to identify differences in the metabolic response of children with different diagnostic certainty of TB. We included 62 children with signs and symptoms of TB and 55 apparently healthy children. Six of the children with presumptive TB had bacteriologically confirmed TB, 52 children with unconfirmed TB, and 4 children with unlikely TB. Urine metabolic fingerprints were identified using high- and low-field proton NMR platforms and assessed with pattern recognition techniques such as principal components analysis and partial least squares discriminant analysis. We observed differences in the metabolic fingerprint of children with bacteriologically confirmed and unconfirmed TB compared to children with unlikely TB (p = 0.041 and p = 0.013, respectively). Moreover, children with unconfirmed TB with X-rays compatible with TB showed differences in the metabolic fingerprint compared to children with non-pathological X-rays (p = 0.009). Differences in the metabolic fingerprint in children with different diagnostic certainty of TB could contribute to a more accurate characterisation of TB in the paediatric population. The use of metabolomics could be useful to improve the prediction of TB progression and diagnosis in children.

Evaluation of the treatment efficacy of systemic care combined with thymopentin and 2HRZE/4HR for primary tuberculosis

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the efficacy of systemic care combined with thymopentin and 2HRZE/4HR in the treatment of primary tuberculosis.

METHODS

The clinical data of 93 patients with primary tuberculosis were retrospectively collected and divided into two groups based on the intervention method. Group A (n=46) was treated only with 2HRZE/4HR, and group B (n=47) was treated with the 2HRZE/4HR combined with thymopentin. Meanwhile, both groups received systematic care. The lesion absorption rate, sputum conversion rate (SCR), T lymphocyte subpopulation count, immunoglobulin level, lung function index, changes in sputum supernatant levels of cytokines before and after treatment, and the occurrence of adverse reactions were compared.

RESULTS

Group B exhibited higher complete absorption rate of foci and lower basic absorption rate than group A (P < 0.05). The SCRs of group B after 2, 4 and 6 months of intervention were higher than those of group A (P < 0.05). Compared with group A, group B had lower CD8⁺ level and higher CD4⁺ and CD3⁺ levels (P < 0.05). Group B also had higher levels of IgA, IgG, and IgM than group A after intervention (P < 0.05). Group B had higher levels of FEV1, PEF, and FVC than group A after intervention (P < 0.05). In contrast to group A, group B had lower IL-4 levels and higher TNF-γ levels (P < 0.05). The incidence rate of adverse events in group B was not significantly different from that in group A (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Systemic care combined with 2HRZE/4HR was effective for treatment of primary tuberculosis, which is beneficial for improving the immunity, SCR, and the inflammatory status, with low incidence of adverse events and a high safety level.

Disseminated Tuberculosis Complicated With Pneumatoceles in 2 Infants

Pneumatoceles are rare complications of pulmonary tuberculosis in children. We present 2 cases in infants of disseminated tuberculosis complicated by pneumatoceles with different evolution. This complication should be considered if worsening of respiratory symptoms occurs after initiating anti-tuberculous treatment. Treatment of pneumatoceles is usually conservative and surgical treatment should be used in patients with giant cysts which cause respiratory distress.

Case Report: Hemoptysis Caused by Pulmonary Tuberculosis Complicated With Bronchial Artery-Pulmonary Artery Fistula in Children

Bronchial artery-pulmonary artery fistula secondary to pulmonary tuberculosis is an important cause of hemoptysis in adults, but it's relatively rare in children. Bronchial artery-pulmonary artery fistulas are mostly congenital in children and may have no clinical manifestations in the early stage. Congenital bronchial artery-pulmonary fistula with pulmonary tuberculosis can lead to hemoptysis. From 2016 to 2020, two children with pulmonary tuberculosis complicated with bronchial artery and pulmonary artery fistula were admitted and treated in our hospital. We reminded pediatricians to pay attention to a variety of etiology combined with the possibility of children's hemoptysis.

Chest imaging in paediatric pulmonary TB

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a significant cause of death from an infectious disease worldwide. The diagnosis of pulmonary TB in children is often challenging as children present with non-specific clinical symptoms, have difficulties providing specimens and have a low bacillary load. Radiological imaging supports a clinical diagnosis of pulmonary TB in children, can assess response to treatment and evaluate complications of TB. However, radiological signs on plain radiographs are often non-specific and inter-observer variability in the interpretation contribute to the difficulties in radiological interpretation and diagnosis. The goal of this review is to discuss the advantages and features of cross-sectional imaging such as ultrasound, Computed tomography (CT) and Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in diagnosing pulmonary TB (PTB) and its complications in children.

Advanced imaging tools for childhood tuberculosis: potential applications and research needs

Tuberculosis is the leading cause of death globally that is due to a single pathogen, and up to a fifth of patients with tuberculosis in high-incidence countries are children younger than 16 years. Unfortunately, the diagnosis of childhood tuberculosis is challenging because the disease is often paucibacillary and it is difficult to obtain suitable specimens, causing poor sensitivity of currently available pathogen-based tests. Chest radiography is important for diagnostic evaluations because it detects abnormalities consistent with childhood tuberculosis, but several limitations exist in the interpretation of such results. Therefore, other imaging methods need to be systematically evaluated in children with tuberculosis, although current data suggest that when available, cross-sectional imaging, such as CT, should be considered in the diagnostic evaluation for tuberculosis in a symptomatic child. Additionally, much of the understanding of childhood tuberculosis stems from clinical specimens that might not accurately represent the lesional biology at infection sites. By providing non-invasive measures of lesional biology, advanced imaging tools could enhance the understanding of basic biology and improve on the poor sensitivity of current pathogen detection systems. Finally, there are key knowledge gaps regarding the use of imaging tools for childhood tuberculosis that we outlined in this Personal View, in conjunction with a proposed roadmap for future research.

Chest Tuberculosis in Children

Chest is the commonest site of involvement by tuberculosis (TB) in children; lungs being the most frequently affected region, followed by nodes, pleura and chest wall. It is difficult to diagnose TB in children due to lack of overt symptoms and difficulty in obtaining samples for microbiological confirmation. Hence various imaging modalities play an important role in diagnostic algorithm as well as in follow-up after treatment. Standardization of chest radiograph reporting in context of clinically suspected TB is the need of the hour so as to suggest a proper diagnosis and avoid over-diagnosis. This article aims to discuss the imaging features of chest tuberculosis according to the site of involvement on various imaging modalities in the pediatric population.

Impact of radiology reports on timely tuberculosis diagnosis

PURPOSE

As tuberculosis becomes less common in higher income countries, clinician familiarity with the disease is declining. Little is known about how chest radiograph interpretations affect tuberculosis care. We sought to determine how tuberculosis-related terminology in an initial chest radiograph reading impacted patient care.

STUDY DESIGN

We examined a retrospective cohort of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis in North Carolina from 1 January 2011 to 31 December 2014. Tuberculosis-related terminology was categorised into four mutually exclusive categories. The primary outcomes of interest were the time from the chest radiograph to (1) obtaining the first sputum specimen for acid-fast smear and mycobacterial culture, and (2) initiation of antituberculous treatment.

RESULTS

Of 550 available chest radiograph reports, 175 (31.8%) contained the word 'tuberculosis', 30 (5.5%) contained the word 'mycobacteria' or 'granulomatous', 43 (7.8%) contained the word 'cavity', and 301 (54.7%) had none of the above terms mentioned. Patients with the word 'tuberculosis' in the radiology report had a significantly shorter time to collection of the initial sputum specimen for acid-fast smear and mycobacterial culture (median 2 days) and to the start of antituberculous treatment (median 4 days) than patients with none of the keywords. Use of the term 'cavity' in the report was associated with a shorter time to initiation of antituberculous treatment (median 4 days) than if none of the keywords were used.

CONCLUSION

Chest radiograph reports that contained keywords for pulmonary tuberculosis, such as 'tuberculosis' or 'cavity', were associated with less time to collection of sputum and antituberculous treatment.