[The correlation between the CD4 count in HIV-positive patients and the radiological findings in diseases of the paranasal sinuses].
OBJECTIVE
Sinusitis is a frequent and typical disease in HIV-positive patients. It was the aim of this study to examine retrospectively computed tomograms (CT) and magnetic resonance images (MRI) of such patients for sinusitis.


METHODS
CT and MRI of the nasal sinuses were retrospectively analysed in 71 HIV-positive patients.


RESULTS
Sinusitis was diagnosed in 49 of the 71 patients by conventional radiology (38), CT (13) and/or MRI. In patients with sinusitis, contrary to those without it, there was a significant correlation between progression of the HIV infection, as measured by reduction in CD4 count, and an increased number of symptoms (r = -0.297; p < 0.05). The latter also correlated significantly with the frequency of concomitant sinusitis (r = 0.336, p < 0.05). The radiological findings correlated more closely with the CD4 count when tomography was used. The correlation coefficient for the number of patients with concomitant sinus disease rose from r = -0.305 to r = -0.459 and for the degree of severity from r = -0.324 to r = -0.484 (p < 0.05). Severity of sinus disease was clearly more marked among HIV-positive than HIV-negative patients.


CONCLUSIONS
The severity of sinusitis in HIV-positive patients correlated directly with the level of the CD4 count. In these patients tomographic methods are preferable to conventional radiology.
Mäurer
J
J
Strahlenklinik und Poliklinik, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Medizinische Fakultät, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin.
Vlad
J
J
Knollmann
F
F
Schröder
R
R
Felix
R
R
D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010256:Paranasal Sinuses / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012852:Sinusitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed