Endobronchial tuberculous granuloma in children.

Endobronchial tuberculosis is rare in children, in whom it is usually a complication of primary tuberculosis. Endobronchial involvement may adopt several forms, with granuloma being infrequent. Here we report on 10 cases of endobronchial tuberculous granuloma diagnosed and treated in our Paediatric Surgery Service between 1991 and 2004. In 2 cases the presentation was acute and constituted the first manifestation of TB; the remaining patients were undergoing treatment or had been treated for primary TB, and presented with clinical symptoms or radiological signs that led us to suspect endobronchial involvement. In all cases the granuloma was removed by bronchoscopy. Patients received conventional medical TB treatment, with corticoids for 4 weeks following granuloma removal. The clinical course was favourable in all cases and on follow-up we saw no complications. Endobronchial tuberculous granuloma should be borne in mind in children with symptoms or signs of airway obstruction and especially during the course of tuberculosis treatment.

What is the infection risk of oesophageal dilatations?

UNLABELLED: Oesophageal dilatation is the most widely used treatment option for the management of oesophageal strictures. Complications include bleeding, a slight increase in body temperature, thoracic or abdominal pain, oesophageal perforation, brain abscess and bacteraemia. We performed a prospective study to evaluate the frequency of post-dilatation bacteraemia in nine patients subjected to a total of 50 dilatations. Bacteraemia was detected in 36 cases (72%), In all but three cases, however, it was transient and not associated with fever or other clinical complications. The organisms most commonly responsible (64%) were alpha-haemolytic streptococci (Streptococcus viridans), probably originating as contaminants from the oropharynx and oesophagus and introduced into the bloodstream during dilatation. Despite the relatively low incidence of bacteraemia-related postdilatation complications, the potential severity of such complications argues for the use of antibiotic prophylaxis as a routine measure prior to oesophageal dilatation. CONCLUSION: Oesophageal dilatation is associated with a high incidence of bacteraemia. The organisms most commonly responsible were alpha-haemolytic streptococci. We recommend the use of antibiotic prophylaxis as a routine measure prior to oesophageal dilatation.