OBJECTIVE: Extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) in children globally represents a proportion of all cases of tuberculosis, reaching 20% according to published reports. Children are at a higher risk for disseminated TB and extrapulmonary forms. The most prevalent clinical presentations of EPTB in children worldwide are peripheral lymphadenitis and osteoarticular TB. Peritoneal, urogenital, or meningeal tuberculosis is less frequent, and their diagnosis is often difficult. The aim of the study was the determination of EPTB incidence in children in a low-prevalence region over 35 years. METHODS: Descriptive retrospective study of the incidence of EPTB in children and adolescents (aged 0-18 years) in the Czech Republic in the years 1987-2021 as reported in the tuberculosis register. RESULTS: Total amount of EPTB cases was 95. The most prevalent form was extrathoracic lymph node TB. The median age was 10 years. Most patients (84%) were Czechs. None of them died. The ratio of pulmonary and extrapulmonary TB was 79.8% to 20.2%. CONCLUSION: The low incidence of EPTB in Czech children is congruent with a low incidence of TB in the Czech Republic. Our study confirms that the most frequent form of EPTB is peripheral lymph node TB. Our study did not prove a significant change in the trend of EPTB after the cessation of the mandatory Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccination programme.

• Keywords
• TB peripheral lymphadenitis, extrapulmonary, osteoarticular TB, tuberculosis, uropoetic,
• MeSH
• Child MeSH
• Tuberculosis, Extrapulmonary * MeSH
• Incidence MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Adolescent MeSH
• Retrospective Studies MeSH
• Tuberculosis * epidemiology   diagnosis   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Child MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Adolescent MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Geographicals
• Czech Republic epidemiology   MeSH

A retrospective survey, based on a standardized questionnaire sent to qualified public health experts in tuberculosis in 50 European countries, was carried out to evaluate the following: concordance between national vaccination programmes and WHO recommendations on BCG vaccination for prevention of tuberculosis; relation between BCG vaccination and revaccination policy and the tuberculosis epidemiological situation; and differences in BCG vaccination policy between Western and Central-Eastern European countries. The results obtained (from 41 (82%) of the 50 countries) revealed that BCG vaccination programmes met WHO recommendations in 44% of European countries. Mass primary vaccination and general revaccination were extremely common in countries where the prevalence of tuberculosis was high. A highly significant difference was found between Western and Central-Eastern European countries in terms of their adhesion to WHO recommendations. Within Central-Eastern Europe no difference was found between countries that had or had not been part of the former Soviet Union. The implementation of WHO recommendations into national tuberculosis programmes must be intensified, based on the available body of evidence. Preventive methods whose cost-effectiveness has not been properly established should be discouraged.

• MeSH
• BCG Vaccine * MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Infant, Newborn MeSH
• Immunization Schedule MeSH
• Prevalence MeSH
• Surveys and Questionnaires MeSH
• Retrospective Studies MeSH
• Practice Guidelines as Topic MeSH
• World Health Organization MeSH
• Tuberculosis epidemiology   prevention & control   MeSH
• Vaccination standards   MeSH
• Public Health Practice standards   MeSH
• Health Policy * MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Infant, Newborn MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Geographicals
• Europe epidemiology   MeSH
• Names of Substances
• BCG Vaccine * MeSH