With the purpose of studying the epidemiological situation of pediatric tuberculosis in Rio de Janeiro, we analyze the reporting forms for 560 patients under 15 years of age, among those being monitored by the city Tuberculosis Control Program. The following variables were studied: age, clinical form, results of laboratory tests, and places where the patients were seen. About 96% of the data investigated was found. The main results were the following: 1. the relative percentage of cases among children compared to adults was similar in Rio de Janeiro (6.6%) and Brazil (6.7%); both were far below the percentage expected by the Brazilian Ministry of Health; 2. 70% of cases presented with the pulmonary form of the disease; among these, microscopy was performed in 50%, with 29% of positive results; 38% of the patients displayed radiological lesions, with signs of cavitation; 3. only 24% of the case contacts were controlled; 4. incidence rates of all forms of tuberculosis in Rio de Janeiro were much higher (as much as 62.6 times higher for some coefficients) as compared to Brazil as a whole; and 5. prevalence of positive serology for HIV was at least 4.1%.
Tuberculosis; Child Health; Epidemiology; HIV
