[Thirty-five cases of tuberculosis in childhood].

Thirty five children with tuberculosis admitted to the Hokkaido University Hospital from 1970 through 1984 wer reviewed. They were 7 cases of meningeal tuberculosis, 8 of military tuberculosis, 15 of primary tuberculosis and 5 of adult type pulmonary tuberculosis. Fifteen (43%) of the 35 cases were below 2 years, and over half of these younger cases were hematogenous spread such as meningeal and military types. Instead of hematogenic spread in these cases, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and CRP stayed in moderate values. Thirty one (91.2%) of the 34 cases having precise record had no history of BCG inoculation. Over half of the cases were infected from adults in the immediate household, and the sources of infection were found after the diagnosis of childhood tuberculosis in about half of these cases. Although incidence of the childhood tuberculosis are decreasing in recent years, childhood tuberculosis resulting hematogenous spread with poor prognosis in advanced state still exists, so it is important to remark the childhood tuberculosis at out patient clinics.