Question:medium
The most common organ involved in congenital tuberculosis is?
The most common organ involved in congenital tuberculosis is?
Show Hint
Follow the umbilical vein and ask which organ it drains into first.
Updated On: Jun 24, 2026
- Liver
- Pancreas
- Kidney
- Lung
Show Solution
The Correct Option is A
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: To answer this, trace how the infection reaches the unborn child. The dominant pathway is haematogenous, with bacilli travelling along the umbilical vein from an infected placenta.
Step 2: Blood carried by the umbilical vein enters the fetal circulation by way of the liver. The first seeding of organisms therefore lodges in hepatic tissue and forms the primary complex, placing the liver at the top of the list of affected organs.
Step 3: A second, less frequent mechanism is aspiration or swallowing of infected amniotic fluid, which can cause pulmonary or gut disease and explains the lung distractor. Pancreatic and renal involvement are not typical early targets. Hence the liver is the single best answer.
\[\boxed{\text{Liver}}\]
Step 2: Blood carried by the umbilical vein enters the fetal circulation by way of the liver. The first seeding of organisms therefore lodges in hepatic tissue and forms the primary complex, placing the liver at the top of the list of affected organs.
Step 3: A second, less frequent mechanism is aspiration or swallowing of infected amniotic fluid, which can cause pulmonary or gut disease and explains the lung distractor. Pancreatic and renal involvement are not typical early targets. Hence the liver is the single best answer.
\[\boxed{\text{Liver}}\]
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