Tuberculosis (TB) is a major public health concern; tuberculosis in children is of special significance as it is a marker for recent TB transmission, and because young children are at a greater risk of developing life-threatening forms of TB disease. This book offers an updated and comprehensive overview of tuberculosis in children. It covers many facets of tuberculosis in children including epidemiology, microbiology and immune-pathogenesis, the clinical spectrum of disease, the diagnostic methods and management in fair detail. The inclusion of multiple figures and radiological images for illustration, tables to organize the content in the many chapters and the highlights at the end of each chapter increase the appeal of the book.

The section on clinical spectrum of tuberculosis deals extensively with different clinical aspects of tuberculosis in children. Some of the more difficult aspects of tuberculosis such as neurotuberculosis are dealt with in greater detail with the inclusion of multiple case studies that clarifies much of the nuances in the diagnosis and management of neurotuberculosis. In addition to the chapters on common manifestations, there is also a chapter that deals with unusual manifestations such as that of the eye, ear, heart, kidney, breast etc. This section also describes the diagnostic modalities and management issues depending on the organ system involved.

Given the paucibacillary nature of tuberculosis in children, establishing a definitive diagnosis is a major challenge. Considerable detail has been presented in the diagnostic section including a separate chapter on airway specimen collection. The use of imaging in diagnosis has also been explained with multiple useful illustrative images. The advent of newer diagnostic tests for the diagnosis of TB infection and disease have also been covered. There is considerable detail on first and second line anti-tuberculer drugs that improves the understanding of their mechanisms of action, pharmacokinetics, adverse effects and drug interactions. The management strategies and importantly, the rationale for these strategies have also been dealt with in an understandable manner.

There are a few repetitions such as those in the chapters on anti-tuberculous drugs and chapters on the clinical spectrum and diagnosis and management, some of which are unavoidable. More details on the complications of BCG vaccination especially in the context of immune-compromised conditions, paradoxical reactions and their management, and treatment of drug resistant TB in children would have made the book more complete.

Overall, the book has been well written and offers the clinician with a good overall and in-depth view of tuberculosis in children that can be used by practising pediatricians, postgraduate students and infectious disease trainees.