Congenital tuberculosis as a result of disseminated maternal disease: Case report

Although tuberculosis is highly prevalent worldwide, congenital tuberculosis is one of the least common manifestations of the disease. The diagnosis is usually difficult because of the non-specific clinical presentation and the lack of awareness of maternal disease prior to pregnancy and delivery. We present the case of a preterm neonate with congenital tuberculosis, born to a previously healthy mother who had developed severe disseminated tuberculosis during her pregnancy. Once the diagnosis was confirmed in the mother, the congenital infection was confirmed by isolation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in gastric aspirates, and positive polymerase chain reaction in a cerebrospinal fluid examination. Treatment for tuberculosis with a four-drug regimen resulted in an adequate clinical response in both the mother and infant.