Abstract:

Objective To investigate the CT imaging features of drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) in children. Methods A total of 29 children with DR-TB in Guangzhou Chest Hospital diagnosed by clinical and laboratory from January 2012 to December 2018 were retrospectively collected as DR-TB group (Group DR). Meanwhile, based on 1:3 case-control study, 87 children in the same period with drug-sensitive tuberculosis (DS-TB) who met the inclusion criteria were selected as drug-sensitive group (Group DS). The principle of comparative matching was the same sex and age ±2 years old. In these two groups, the children aged 0- years old were classified into Drug-resistant Group 1 (Group DR1, 12 cases), and Drug-sensitive Group 1 (Group DS1, 36 cases); the children aged 5-14 years old were classified into Drug-resistant Group 2 (Group DR2, 17 cases), and Drug-sensitive Group 2 (Group DS2, 51 cases). The CT features of drug-resistant children and drug-sensitive children in different age groups were compared and analyzed, and the CT features of DR-TB children were summarized. Results The incidence of lesions involving lobes of both lungs in Group DR1 and Group DS1, Group DR2 and Group DS2 was 66.67% (8/12) and 30.56% (11/36), 52.94% (9/17) and 23.53% (12/51), respectively. There were significantly differences between the two groups (χ² values: 4.907, and 5.167, respectively; P values: 0.027 and 0.023, respectively). The incidence of multiple nodular lesions in Group DR1 and Group DS1 was 83.33% (10/12) and 44.44% (16/36), respectively, and that of consolidation was 50.00% (6/12) and 86.11% (31/36), that of pleural effusion was 8.33% (1/12) and 38.89% (14/36), that of bronchostenosis was 16.67% (2/12) and 52.78% (19/36), respectively. There were significantly differences in these aspects between the two groups (χ² values: 5.483, 6.644, 3.911, and 4.769, respectively; P values: 0.019, 0.010, 0.048, and 0.029, respectively). The incidence of pleural effusion in Group DR2 and Group DS2 was 11.76% (2/17) and 43.14% (22/51), respectively, and that of bronchostenosis was 47.06% (8/17) and 21.57% (11/51), respectively. There were significantly differences between the two groups (χ² values: 5.495, and 4.115, respectively; P values: 0.019 and 0.043, respectively). Conclusion The CT features of children with DR-TB are as follows: compared with children with DS-TB in the same age group, lung lesions are more widely distributed in children with DR-TB; multiple nodular lesions are common in DR-TB children aged 0- years old, and there is high incidence of bronchostenosis in DR-TB children aged 5-14 years old.

Key words: Child, Tuberculosis, pulmonary, Tuberculosis, multidrug-resistant, Tomography, spiral computed, Age groups, Disease attributes, Data interpretation, statistical