Congenital tuberculosis--report of an autopsy case.

An autopsy case of congenital tuberculosis is described in a 41-day-old female infant who was born to a mother having active pulmonary tuberculosis. The primary complex was seen in the liver and portal lymph nodes, and there was a generalized miliary dissemination including lung, liver, spleen, pancreas, adrenals, thyroid, thymus, kidneys, brain, and bowel. The organism was confirmed to be Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The tubercles were histopathologically of various chronicity and characterized by massive caseation and fairly poor peripheral lymphohistiocytic reaction. Giant cell response was also minimal. It should be stressed that although rare, tuberculosis is still an important disease in Korea that can involve fetus or newborn infants if pregnant women are untreated or unnoticed for her tuberculosis.