[Old and new aspects of childhood tuberculosis (author's transl)].

During the preceding 8 years 50 children were treated for active tuberculosis at the University of Innsbruck Department of Pediatrics. None of them were vaccinated against tuberculosis. Three children died; one of them from a fulminant miliary tuberculosis, two others from tuberculous meningitis; both of them were neurosurgically explored due to massive increase of intracranial pressure before a definite diagnosis was established. Two other patients, out of eleven with Tb-meningitis, are suffering permanent damages. Each one of the fatal cases and those with permanent sequelae could have been avoided by early diagnosis, which would have been possible in every case. It's our impression, that, with the decrease in the number of infected patients, there is also a decrease in the awareness and knowledge of this disease. We found the same to be true for the performance and interpretation of the Tb testing. Newborns immunized with BCG have to be tested for a positive tuberculine conversion to a dilution of Mantoux 1:100, preferably 3 months after the vaccination. Children with negative delayed sensitivity to tuberculin have to be reimmunized.