<i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i>, a cause of necrotising pneumonia in childhood: a case series

Setting Tertiary care hospital, Western Cape, South Africa. Design Retrospective descriptive study of a case series of necrotising pneumonia (NP) in children associated with Mycobacterium tuberculosis presenting over a 4-year period in a country with high human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and tuberculosis (TB) prevalence. Objective To describe the clinical and radiological features of, and treatment regimens and outcomes in, children with NP. Results Of 32 children (median age 16.5 months, interquartile range 10-33), 8 (25%) (median age 49 months) had NP associated with M. tuberculosis, 6 of whom were HIV-infected. Chest computed tomography (CT) was diagnostic in all cases: no radiological signs were suggestive of TB. There was no difference in the clinical picture, chest radiography or CT scan between M. tuberculosis-associated and bacterial NP. M. tuberculosis was cultured in 75% of cases; pleural fluid acid-fast bacilli was positive in an additional two cases. Surgery was required in 46% of the M. tuberculosis cases. At follow-up, 50% of these cases had complete radiological resolution similar to bacterial NP. Conclusion This series highlights the fact that M. tuberculosis not only causes acute pneumonia in children, it also results in numerous complications. M. tuberculosis should be considered as a cause of NP in all children, especially HIV-infected children, living in high TB prevalence regions.