Disseminated Tuberculosis in a Vaccinated 9-Year-Old: A Case Report

Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB) is uncommon in children vaccinated at birth as Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine offers protection for a 10- to 15-year period. However, disseminated TB has been increasingly recognized in children due to the increased prevalence of immune suppression secondary to AIDS, malnutrition and immunosuppressive therapies for various medical disorders as well as increasing awareness leading to more diagnoses. We report a 9-year-old female who presented with recurrent fever, rashes, bilateral neck and abdominal swelling of 3 years duration in order to raise awareness of the occurrence of disseminated TB in our locality, the importance of a high index of suspicion and tissue diagnosis in immunosuppressed children with a negative microbiology result.