title: Radiographic features of pulmonary tuberculosis in patients infected by HIV: is there an objective indicator of co-infection?
abstract: This study aimed to compare the radiographic characteristics of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection with those of HIV-negative patients. In all, 275 TB patients attending the outpatients clinics at the University Hospital/UFPE, were studied from January 1997 to March 1999. Thirty nine (14.2%) of them were HIV(+), with a higher frequency of males in this group (p=0.044). Seventy-five percent of the HIV(+) patients and 19% of the HIV(-) had a negative tuberculin test (PPD) (p < 0.001). The proportion of positive sputum smears in the two groups was similar. The radiological finding most strongly associated with co-infection was absence of cavitation (p < 0.001). It may therefore be concluded that the lack of cavitation in patients with pulmonary TB may be considered a useful indicator of the need to investigate HIV infection. This approach could contribute to increasing the effectiveness of local health services, by offering appropriate treatment to co-infected patients.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Clínica Médica, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, PE.
authors.forename: M de F
authors.initials: Mde F
authors.lastname: de Albuquerque
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Albuquerque
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Campelo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cruz
authors.forename: W V
authors.initials: WV
authors.lastname: de Souza
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Ximenes
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: de Souza
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*