Pulmonary and meningeal tuberculosis patterns in children at King Abdul-Aziz university hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: A retrospective study

Background: Paediatric Tuberculosis (TB) is a significant health problem worldwide, with the World Health Organization (WHO) reporting almost 550,000 children infected with TB yearly. Several factors have affected the TB infection rate in Saudi Arabia, including Hajj and Umrah (Islamic pilgrimages to Mecca), travel, global migration, indigence, inaccessible healthcare services and drug resistance. Objectives: This retrospective study aimed to describe the patterns of pulmonary TB (PTB) and tuberculous meningitis (TBM) among children admitted to the Paediatric Department at King Abdul-Aziz University Hospital (KAUH) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, between January 2010 and May 2015. Methods: The patients’ clinical information was retrieved retrospectively from the hospital TB register and case notes, including the age, gender, clinical features, investigations, treatments and prognosis.