文摘
Background Childhood tuberculosis is a chronic infectious disease caused by pathogenic bacteria of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex genus. Tuberculosis has become rare in most developed countries during recent decades. In contrast, according to worldwide incidence rates, tuberculosis is still among the most frequent and deadly infectious diseases. In Germany, ‘imported-tuberculosis cases from countries with high disease incidence are important, but the majority of cases occur in children born in Germany. Low case frequencies as well as lost knowledge about tuberculosis symptoms and diagnosis pose the hazard of nonobservance. Diagnosis Diagnosis of tuberculosis in childhood is particularly difficult because of often unclear symptomatology. Therefore, reasonable usage of available tools (i.e., immunodiagnostics, imaging techniques, pathogen detection) is crucial for diagnosis. Aim of this article This review focuses on immunodiagnostic methods and discusses limitations of available tests. Finally, it summarizes how recent scientific findings on tuberculosis pathogenesis and latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection may lead to novel diagnostic approaches and predictive biomarkers for tuberculosis treatment efficacy.