%0 Journal Article %A Soheila Khalilzadeh %A Maryam Hassanzad %A Nooshin Baghaie %A Mohamad Reza Boloorsaz %A Ali Akbar Velayati %T Evaluation of tuberculosis diagnostic criteria in children %D 2011 %J European Respiratory Journal %P p4972 %V 38 %N Suppl 55 %X Objectives: In this study we reviewed the diagnostic citeria for tuberculosis on 198 children diagnosed with TBMaterial and methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted on a series of 525 children aged 1 to 15 years. Among 525 patients, 198 were diagnosed with TB. Date of the study were collected from the patients recoreds, chest radiographs and laboratory examinations.Demographic and diagnostic characteristics of patients were reviewed by means of the available criteria.Results: In this study 38.9% of patients were male and 61.1% were female.Among all patients 34.5% were Iranian and 65.2% were Afghanis.In this study 82.8% of patients reported close contact with TB. Among all patients 13.1% had extrapulmonary tuberculosis, 72.7% had pulmonary tuberculosis and 14.1% had pulmonary and extrapulmonary involvement.Frequency of TST, contact, clinical symptoms, radiograph findings and bacteriology as diagnostic methods was 79.3%, 83.8%, 83.8%, 85.9%, and 58.1%, respectively. Due to our setting, 90.4% of patients fulfill the criteria.Discussion: The result of this study indicate the high diagnostic value of smear and culture of gastric aspirate in children.How ever, it couldnt be considered as a gold standard for diagnosis of TB in children. In addition the significant accuracy of the available criteria was determined and it could be considered as an efficient diagnostic setting in childhood TB diagnosis. %U