Introduction: Tuberculosis is a chronic infectious disease that remains a global public
health problem. Children, accounting for 10% of cases, are particularly
vulnerable to this disease. Based on a case of multifocal tuberculosis in a
14-month-old infant, the authors conducted a literature review on this
condition. Observation: The case involved a 14-month-old infant referred
from a health center for persistent symptoms including anemia, fever, and
lateral deviation of the mouth during crying. Clinical examination revealed an
infectious and meningeal syndrome, as well as facial paralysis. The results of
brain imaging, cerebrospinal fluid examination, fundus examination, and gastric
lavage fluid examination led to the conclusion of multifocal tuberculosis in
the infant without association with HIV. Improvement was observed one week
after the start of antituberculosis treatment, with complete recovery without
sequelae after 12 months. Conclusion: Although rare, multifocal
tuberculosis does exists and its diagnosis remains challenging in infants.
Early treatment generally leads to favorable outcomes, especially in the
absence of HIV coinfection.
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