[Evaluation of the management of tuberculosis in children in Madagascar. Results of a multicentric study].

In Madagascar, tuberculosis remains an important cause of morbidity and letality with a Risk of Annual Tubercular Infection about 1% in 1996 in spite of a vaccination rate of 82.6% and tubercular drugs free of charge. In 1995, the National Tubercular Control Program detected 7,000 cases of pulmonary tuberculosis and expected more than 12,000 cases per year. This study was carried out in order to review the management and the treatment of the child tuberculosis in Madagascar. This retrospective study was conducted in four pediatric units of the General hospital of Befelatanana (A and B), Ambohimiandra Hospital and Regional Hospital Centre of Toliara for a twenty four months period from January 1997 to December 1998. All the less than 15-year-old children medical files were consulted. 214 cases were suspected of tuberculosis. 133 of them were treated upon clinical presumption basis and/or radiological exams (33 bacteriological and/or histopathological exams were only realized). 56% of the cases were vaccinated by BCG vaccine. Respiratory diseases with fever motive 46% of hospitalization. The majority of these children are living in poor conditions and 38% of them had malnutrition. Were found as clinical manifestations: 47% of pulmonary tuberculosis (among them 20% were smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis), 12% had ganglionar tuberculosis, 10% peritoneal tuberculosis, 8% a tubercular meningitis, 5% a Pott-disease and 2% a miliary-disease. Mortality increases with suffocation. 18% of cases died, especially infants and in tubercular meningitis. The authors conclude that management and treatment of tuberculosis need an early diagnosis. But the diagnosis is difficult in front of non specific clinical manifestations in children and due to lack of means and national agreement which settle up diagnosis and therapy. A scoring system based upon clinical signs in agreement with complementary medical tests is desirable.