[Clinical and epidemiological features of tuberculosis ostitis in BCG-vaccinated children].

There has been a drastic increase in the incidence of ostitis in children since 2001. Comparison of current tuberculous ostitis (n = 70) and primary pulmonary tuberculosis (n = 60) in infants revealed significant clinical and epidemiological differences. Molecular genetic methods identified BCG M. bovis strain DNA in 13 (46.4%) intraoperative samples and 4 samples of obtained cultures from bone destruction foci. Isolation of BCG cultures and/or verification of BCG M. ovis DNA from the bone lesion focus by polymerase chain reaction is a significant criterion for verification of the BCG etiology of ostitis having a morphological pattern of productive necrotic tuberculosis in children.