Abstract

A female term neonate with congenital tuberculosis presented with clinical manifestations of cough, respiratory distress and bilateral reticulonodular infiltration on chest radiograph. Her Indonesian mother had extrapulmonary tuberculosis. The neonate's tuberculosis symptoms were characterized by multi-organ involvement including lung, liver, gall bladder and kidneys, suggesting a spreading hematogenous transmission. Pathology of the liver biopsy revealed scattered miliary granuloma. After anti-tuberculosis treatment, significant improvement was seen on chest radiogram and in her clinical condition. Congenital tuberculosis should be suspected in infants who are unresponsive to empirical antibiotics. Transcutaneous liver biopsy may help confirm its prenatal origin.