Clinic, radiologic and epidemiologic characteristics of sixty-five pediatric tuberculosis (TB) patients who had been admitted in Viransehir Society Hospital and Sanliurfa Children’s Hospital between 1997 and 2005 were evaluated. Thirty-nine of patients (54%) were male. Mean age was 2.6±2.0 years. The number of patients under 5 years was 56 (81%). Scar for BCG vaccination was detected in 23 patients (33.5%). Twenty of patients (29%) had given a history of contact with an adult TB case. The most prominent complaints were cough (46.6%), wheezing (20.4%), weight lost (12.3%), fever (10.8%), night sweats (3.1%). Mean complaints duration was one month. The distribution of cases in body was as follows: Pulmonary TB 62 (90.1%), miliary TB 3 (4.2%), TB meningitis 1 (1.4%), TB meningitis and pulmonary TB 1 (1.4%), TB lenfadenit 1 (1.4%), and renal TB (1.4%). The distribution of pulmonary TB cases was as follows: local pulmonary lesions 38 (62%), hilar TB lymphadenopathy without local paranchymal lesions 13 (21%), TB pleurisy 7 (11%), bronchial lesions 4 (6%). There is hilar lymphadenopathy 82% in pulmonary TB. This study was to emphasize that pediatricians should be alert for tuberculosis in infants and children with an atypical picture suggestive of infection.

Keywords: tüberküloz, çocuk, hışıltılı solunum, tuberculosis, infant, children, wheezing