CT patterns of nodal disease in pediatric chest tuberculosis

Table 1 Demographic profile of patients n (%)

Variables	Frequency (n = 91)
Age group (yr)
0-5	19 (20.9)
5-10	26 (28.6)
10-15	39 (42.9)
15-17	7 (7.7)
Sex
Male	47 (51.6)
Female	44 (48.4)
Presenting symptoms
Fever	88 (96.7)
Cough	56 (61.5)
Weight loss	78 (85.7)
Loss of appetite	90 (98.9)
Lymphadenopathy	38 (41.7)
History of contact	41 (45.0)
Laboratory investigations
Mantoux positivity	91 (100)
Elevated ESR	65 (71.4)
AFB detection	20 (22.0)

ESR: Erythrocyte sedimentation rate; AFB: Acid fast bacilli.

Table 2 Computed tomography findings n (%)

Findings	Frequency (n = 91)
Lymph nodal involvement	88 (96.7)
Parenchymal lesion	64 (70.3)
Airway disease	32 (35.2)
Pleural lesion	18 (19.8)

Table 3 Nodal distribution and characteristics

	Frequency (n = 88)	%
Nodal distribution	Frequency and mean size
Paratracheal	74 (2.21 cm)	84.1
Pretracheal	50 (1.62 cm)	56.8
Precarinal	48 (1.72 cm)	54.4
Subcarinal	67 (2.03 cm)	76.1
Right hilar	46 (1.87 cm)	52.3
Left hilar	32 (1.68 cm)	36.4
Prevascular	22 (2.82 cm)	25.0
Azygoesophageal	30 (1.9 cm)	34.1
Aorto-pulmonary window	10 (2.0 cm)	11.4
Nodal characteristics
Enhancement pattern
Peripheral rim	12	13.6
Homogeneous	30	34.1
Inhomogeneous	46	52.3
Calcification	25	28.4
Conglomerate	50	56.8
Discrete	38	43.2
Obscured perinodal fat	74	84.1

Table 4 Comparison of nodal characteristics pre- and post-treatment

Lymph nodal characteristics	Frequency (n = 30)		P value
	Pre-treatment	Post-treatment
Lymph nodes seen with mean size	30 (1.83 cm)	24 (0.23 cm)	< 0.05
Enhancement pattern
Peripheral rim	3	0	< 0.05
Homogeneous	7	24	> 0.05
Inhomogeneous	20	0	< 0.05
Calcification	8	10	> 0.05
Conglomerate	11	0	< 0.05
Discrete	19	24	> 0.05
Obscured perinodal fat	17	0	< 0.05

Table 5 Nodal characteristics in patients who had residual disease at 6 mo

Nodes	Pre-treatment	6 mo	9 mo
Mean size (cm)	2.4	1.8	1.4
Maximum size (cm)	5	4.5	3.5
Enhancement
Peripheral rim	2	2	1
Homogeneous	0	1	2
Inhomogeneous	1	0	0
Calcification	1	1	1
Conglomerate	1	1	1
Discrete	2	2	2
Obscured perinodal fat	2	1	0