Study of Co-relation between Clinical and Diagnostic Profile of Pediatric Tuberculosis in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Objective: Study of Co-relation between Clinical and Diagnostic profile of Pediatric Tuberculosis in a tertiary care hospital. Methods: This hospital-based observational study was conducted at the Department of Pediatrics, Muzaffarnagar Medical College and Hospital, covering a population of children aged <18 years diagnosed with TB. Data collection spanned 18 months, with a sample size of 100 children. Results: The study identified a predominant TB incidence in children aged 11-17 years (73%) with more females affected (66%) than males. Common symptoms included fever, cough, weight loss, and loss of appetite. Diagnostic findings showed a high use of Chest X-rays and Molecular tests. PTB was the most common form, accounting for 47 cases, EPTB accounting for 48 cases and Disseminated form was seen in 5 cases. Conclusions: Chest X-ray, Tuberculin Skin Test, Molecular Tests, and Blood Tests were universally performed on all patients. Microbiological confirmation is more common in pulmonary tuberculosis cases, while radiology, FNAC/Biopsy, and body fluid analysis are more utilized for extrapulmonary/disseminated cases. Diagnosing tuberculosis (TB) in children is often challenging due to several factors, including the difficulty in obtaining specimens and the typical paucibacillary nature.