Perinatology.  2017 Sep;28(3):92-95. 10.14734/PN.2017.28.3.92.

Successful Isolation and Treatment of Cogenital Tuberculosis Infection Occurred in Premature Infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

• Yoo S
• Chun SH
• Lee J
• Sung TJ

• KMID: 2392429
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.14734/PN.2017.28.3.92

Abstract

Congenital tuberculosis is a very rare disease and the affected infants are often delivered prematurely. Even though proper treatment, the mortality rate is high. The preterm male infant born at 24 weeks of gestational age with birth weight of 760 g was admitted to neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for intensive treatment. One month after delivery, his mother visited to outpatient clinic for headache and nausea and later she was diagnosed with tuberculous meningitis. Then, the preterm infant who was already hospitalized was examined for the possibility of congenital infection. As a result, congenital tuberculosis infection was confirmed by positive reaction with tuberculosis in acid-fast bacilli stain, culture and polymerase chain reaction. The infant was completely isolated for 2 weeks and anti-tuberculosis drugs were administrated. We performed chest radiography and skin reaction test for the other 29 infants and 60 co-workers in the NICU during the same period. The infants were treated with prophylactic antituberculous drug. Three months later, no abnormal findings were observed in any infants and any co-workers during the follow up period. We report the experience of successful treatment and isolation for congenital tuberculosis in premature infants.

Keyword

Tuberculosis; Premature infant; Intensive care units; Newborn; Prevention

MeSH Terms

Ambulatory Care Facilities
Birth Weight
Follow-Up Studies
Gestational Age
Headache
Humans
Infant
Infant, Newborn
Infant, Premature*
Intensive Care Units
Intensive Care, Neonatal*
Male
Mortality
Mothers
Nausea
Polymerase Chain Reaction
Radiography
Rare Diseases
Skin
Thorax
Tuberculosis*
Tuberculosis, Meningeal

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Chest x-ray of infant. (A) Chest X-ray at hospital day 1 showed suspicious of respiratory distress syndrome. (B) Chest X-ray at hospital day 40 taken when the infant's mother diagnosed with tuberculosis meningitis. (C) Chest x-ray at hospital day 140 showed bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

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  Fig. 2 Chest computed tomography of the infants taken before discharge, i.e., hospital days of 138. Several linear atelectasis in both lungs was shown in mostly dependent portion.

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