Qualitative evaluation of tuberculin test responses in childhood tuberculosis.

OBJECTIVE

To study if different forms of clinical presentation of tuberculosis in children are associated with a different type of tuberculin reaction.

METHODS

This cross sectional study, describing Tuberculin skin testing (TST) responses in 268 children (134 cases and 134 controls) less than 12 yr of age was carried out over a period of 18 months at JIPMER, a tertiary care referral hospital in Pondicherry, India. The qualitative and quantitative TST responses in various clinical forms of Tuberculosis were analysed.

RESULTS

Koch's and Listeria variants were more common in children with TB Lymphadenitis and Pulmonary TB respectively. 10% of the study children with TB meningitis were tuberculin negative.

CONCLUSION

Qualitative TST responses are non-homogeneous among the various clinical types of childhood tuberculosis. They are not a correlate of protective immunity with little or no prognostic significance.