Hi my 5 year old niece has been diagnosed with tb?
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Shadow on the lung means that the X-ray showed what we call a 'shadow'. It is an area of density. Can be hundreds of things... including plain old TB or mucous build-up
The TB causes changes to the lungs, its probably just these that have been seen and they want to check it out because she is so young.
Well, my brother also had it, and was given antibiotics. Its nothing to worry about. Nowadays, if its caught early, it can be treated and cured with antibiotics. Make sure she takes them everyday.
The doctors know what is going on and are treating it. There are several ways to treat Tb and it depends on the strain your niece has and how long she has had it. The shadow on the lung is one of the ways you can tell that it is Tb and not just a chest infection.
Unfortuantly with the increase of parents who believe the press rather than the doctors, the incidents of Tb and other diseases is rising again. And that doesn't only affect the child who isn't immunised, it affects the population as a whole. Immunisation works by keeping the diease rates down and slowing the mutation of diseases, so that we have time to treat them before they change again.
The hospital should be able to answer all you question, or try one of the websites I've attached below.
Nurse Emma
HI Jade, tuberculosis (Tb) is a serious infection caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In the lungs, tuberculosis causes the formation of cavitary lesions, pleural effusions and enlarged lymph nodes. These can usually be seen on a chest x-ray.
The point is that, the denser an object is, the whiter its appearance on an X-ray. The lungs of a healthy person are a honeycomb-like tissue containing a considerable amount of air. Consequently, an X-ray of the lung is dark grey, even black. More solid surrounding tissue, like bone, shows up paler in colour. Abnormal areas within the lung that are more dense than healthy lung tissue will stand out as paler than the surrounding tissue. They are sometimes referred to as shadows. The shape and appearance of the shadow gives the experienced radiologist a clue about the likely diagnosis.
Yes, Treatment for tuberculosis disease is with a long-term use of a combinations of antibiotics, depending on whether or not it is resistant to commonly used drugs. Treatment should be coordinated with your local health department and/or a pediatric infectious disease specialist.
Jade you need know that children with tuberculosis disease are not as contagious, because they usually have smaller lung lesions and do not cough as much.
I hope that the shadow in your niece's lung proves to be easily treatable.
Jason Homan
The shadow will probably be the mucus caused by the TB (Tuberculosis) itself. My brother had TB when he was 18 - and people started being vaccinated for it around that time. Over the last few years there has been a decline in people being vaccinated resulting in a bit of a 'come-back' for this disease. It can be very debilitating - especially in one so young, but I'm sure she's being given the right treatment and will soon be on the mend. Give her a hug for me. xxx
The shadows maybe due to mucus produced by the lungs due to pulmonary infection, nothing alarming unless progress to pulmonary complications. And PTB nowadays is a curable disease...proper foods and religiously taking the medicine should be observed. Follow M.D.'s order. Hope your niece will get well soon. Regards
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