[Is tuberculosis in children and adolescents in Poland an epidemiologic problem? Clinical?].

The tuberculosis incidence and mortality in children and adolescents in Poland in the years 1970-1994 declined very substantially. In children (0-14 years) the incidence in 1970 was 14.3 per 100,000, and in 1989 it was 2.0 per 100,000, with slight increase to 2.3 per 100,000 in the years 1990-1994. In 1994 there were 203 cases of tuberculosis in children and 352 cases in adolescent. In adolescents during the whole period of 1970-1994 the incidence declined from 81.9 per 100,000 to 11.1 per 100,000, and in both of these age groups, i.e. 0-14 and 15-19 the level of decline was much higher than in older age groups. It was also noted that in both of these groups there were more cases among girls than boys. The very small number of cases with clinically severe forms of tuberculosis, i.e. miliary tuberculosis and meningitis is further evidence of improvement of the epidemiological situation of tuberculosis in the whole group of 0-19 years. In 1994, 60% of new cases among children had a close family contact, while in adolescent it was 15%, and in general population only 3%. Mortality from tuberculosis in children and adolescents was incidental only. In 1994 a death due to tuberculosis was reported in 1 child and 2 adolescents, while in 1950 there were 3056 deaths in children (11.6 per 100,000) and 1647 deaths in adolescents (68.2 per 100,000) of which 1500 were due to tuberculous meningitis.