Tuberculosis of the bronchial lymph nodes, complicated by atelectasis of the 6th pulmonary segment of the right lung
General Medicine, 2025, 27(2), 36-40.
K. Ketev1,3, I. Karavelikova1,2, D. Milanova-Ilieva1
1 Department of Pediatrics, St. George University Hospital ‒ Plovdiv
2 Department of Pediatrics, Medical University ‒ Plovdiv
3 Medical Simulation Training Center, Medical University ‒ Plovdiv
Abstract. The authors present a case of tuberculosis of the bronchial lymph nodes, complicated by atelectasis of the VI segment on the right. The emphasis is on the delay in the diagnosis of the disease, as well as on the differential diagnosis. Tuberculosis of the bronchial lymph nodes is the most common form of primary tuberculosis among children vaccinated with BCG vaccine. This is also the most insidious form of primary tuberculosis. For a long period of time, the general condition of the patient is preserved until the appearance of complications, as in the described case. After the introduction of specific vaccination in Bulgaria in 1951 and especially after 1974, this form accounts for 69.8% of all forms of the disease. Although tuberculosis is a disease with a well-known etiology and established methods for prevention and control, cases in childhood often remain unrecognized for a long period of time.
Key words: tuberculosis, childhood, atelectasis