[Radiographic pulmonary changes in children with tuberculosis].

Radiographs of the chest of 204 patients with recently diagnosed tuberculosis have been analyzed in terms of nature of changes, localization, age and interrelationship between these parameters. Patients have been treated for three years and a half. Their ages ranged from 0 to 14 years (SD 6.4 +/- 4.2 years). Lymphadenopathy was the commonest radiographic change accounting for 84.3% of all the patients (172 pts) and was more frequently encountered in the youngest age group from 0 to 4 years (p < .0001) and in the right hilomediastinal area (p < .0001). Parenchymal changes were seen in 125 (61.2%) patients, similarly, at an earlier age (p < .03), and more commonly on the right side. Other diseases such as atelectasis and miliary tuberculosis were less frequently encountered, except pleuritis which was found in 13 (6.3%) patients. The authors stress the importance of chest radiography in the diagnosis and follow-up of tuberculosis in young children.