Abstract:

Abstract Objective The purpose of this study was to analyze the features of radiographic and CT findings of pulmonary tuberculosis in infants. Methods Clinical data of infants diagnosed as pulmonary tuberculosis in chongqing medical university affiliated children's hospital from January 2001 to December 2011 were retrospectively collected, and chest X-ray and CT imaging data were analyzed. Results A total of 203 cases were diagnosed as infantile pulmonary tuberculosis in study period , 188 finished chest X-ray or CT examination cases in our hospital were brought into the analysis, 132 finished chest X-ray examination, 144 finished chest CT examination and 88 cases finished both of them. Chest radiographs showed pulmonary parenchymal infiltration in 115 cases（115/132,87.1%）, mediastinum broadness in 33 cases （33/132,25.0%）and hilum pulmonisenlargement in 9 cases (9/132,6.8%）.②Thorax CT showed pulmonary parenchymal infiltration in 143 cases （143/144，99.3%）, and mediastinal or hilar lymphadenopathy in 120 cases （120/144，83.3%）. Pulmonary parenchymal lesions were bilateral in 109 patients(109/143,) and involving the right upper lobe(n = 132), left upper lobe (n=118), left lower lobe(n=118), right lower lobe (n=124), and right middle lobe (n = 124)；Mediastinal or hilar lymphadenopathies were observed in all 120 patients,the most frequently involved nodes in proper sequence were right hilar nodes（n=72）, postcaval nodes（n=58）, left hilar nodes（n=49）,subcarinal nodes（n=44), hilar and mediastinal nodes were involved simultaneously (88,73.3%).③Thorax CT took great advantage of detecting lesions in pulmonary parenchymal infiltration, cavity, lymph nodes and bronchus, pleural disease,and calcification than chest radiography. Conclusions Pulmonary parenchymal infiltration and mediastinal/hilar lymphadenopathies were the radiologic hallmark of infantile pulmonary tuberculosis. CT was superior to chest radiographs in the diagnosis of infantile pulmonary tuberculosis.

Key words: Chest radiography, CT, Infants, pulmonary tuberculosis