TB Clinical Case Conference with NYC Department of Health

On January 30th, NYC-TRAC organized the Tuberculosis (TB) Clinical Case Conference in collaboration with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYC DOHMN). The conference focused on the epidemiology and control of TB in New York City and was marked by two case presentations which involved both Weill Cornell Medicine (WCM) and NYC DOHMN for their care.

The conference opened with an informative talk by Dr. Joseph Burzynski, the Assistant Commissioner of the NYC DOHMN. He provided an in-depth analysis of the current state of tuberculosis in the city, emphasizing the efforts made in TB control and the challenges faced in this urban setting. The presentation highlighted recent statistics, trends in TB incidence, and the impact of public health initiatives. It was an invaluable opportunity for attendees of mixed professions – clinicians, basic scientists, and public health practitioners - to understand the complexities of TB management in the city.

Following Dr. Burzynski’s presentation, two case studies were presented, which underscored the important connection between Weill Cornell and NYC DOHMN.

The first case, presented by Dr. Jyoti Mathad, an Associate Professor of Medicine at WCM, detailed the experience of a mother diagnosed with TB during her delivery. This case was particularly challenging due to the complexities involved in managing TB in a perinatal context. The presentation covered the diagnostic journey, treatment course, and an updated review of immune changes in pregnancy and how that affects TB diagnosis and management.

The second case centered on the newborn infant, who was born from the mother of the first case. The baby was diagnosed with congenital TB. Dr. Melanie Dubois, an Assistant Professor of Weill Cornell Medicine, highlighted the importance of early diagnosis and treatment and the coordinated efforts between pediatricians, TB specialists and public health systems.

The meeting was a great opportunity for the Weill Cornell clinicians to hear and discuss how the patients completed the treatment after discharge from the hospital. At the same time, this reinforced the importance of communication between the hospital and public health system. Moreover, the basic scientists gained new insight into real-life TB cases in the city. Everyone was inspired by these stories of resilience and the collaboration between caregivers. We remain committed to advancing our research and TB control and care in NYC.

You can find the details of NYC's TB management from here: https://www.nyc.gov/site/doh/health/health-topics/tuberculosis.page
Also, they published "Clinical Policies and Program Manual". You can download that from here: https://www.nyc.gov/site/doh/providers/health-topics/tb-hosp-manual.page

The NYC Tri-Institutional Tuberculosis Research Advancement Center (NYC TRAC) is a collaboration of Weill Cornell Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering, and Rockefeller University, which are adjacent to each other in New York City. To check out more details on TB research activities at our Center, visit the TRAC website: https://nyctrac.weill.cornell.edu/about-us