Methods

• Retrospective review of clinic letters and chest x-rays of all children with latent tuberculosis (TB) / children under 2 years with TB contact – seen at our Hospital in the year 2012.

• Patients identified through the Hospital Tuberculosis database.

• Clinic letters of all the patients reviewed noting their demographic information, TB contact details, reasons for receiving treatment, results of Mantoux / blood tests (TB-Quantiferon / T-spot) and treatment received.

• Chest x-rays reviewed (Pre-treatment and Post-treatment where done).

Results

• 99 children identified who received treatment for latent TB / as under 2 year contacts of TB cases in the above period.

• 8 patients had to be excluded because of inadequate clinical information or absence of CXRs in the hospital system.

• 18 children (under 2 years), 11 children (2–5 years), 24 children (5–10 years) and 38 children (above 10 years).

• 73 patients were treated as they had latent TB with +ve Mantoux and/or +ve blood tests for TB.

• 18 patients were treated as they were under 2 years old and had contact with TB patients.

• All children had pre-treatment chest x-rays. All were normal

• 54 children had post-treatment chest x-rays.

• 52 out of 54 (96%) post-treatment CXRs were completely normal.

1 had mild peribronchial opacity in right lower zone.

1 revealed minor scarring in the right upper lobe which was not mentioned in the pre-treatment X-ray report (this child had been treated for latent TB 5 years earlier).

• These 2 children with changes in the CXRs (mentioned above) remained well needing no further treatment.

Conclusions In our cohort of children who received treatment for Latent TB (either because they had latent TB or they were below 2 years old and came into contact with a case of active TB) – there was no benefit of doing a post- treatment chest xray.