title: Tuberculosis in HIV/AIDS patients: a Malaysian experience.
abstract: This retrospective study was conducted at the National Tuberculosis Center (NTBC) where 252 HIV-positive patients coexisting with tuberculosis (TB/HIV) were examined. We found that patients with pulmonary (PTB) and extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPT) had similar mean age. A higher sex ratio between male to female (10.7:1) was observed in patients with PTB. The other characteristics of patients with pulmonary and extrapulmonary tuberculosis were not statistically different from each other. Cough (88%) and hemoptysis were the most common presenting symptoms, significantly related to patients with PTB. Lymphadenopathy (33.5%) was the most common sign in patients with EPT. The majority of patients with pulmonary and extrapulmonary tuberculosis had CD4 cell counts of less than 200 cells/mm3 (range 0-1,179 with a median of 57 cells/mm3). Lung (89%) and miliary (55.6%) forms were the most frequent disease locations in patients with PTB and EPT, respectively. A higher percentage of patients with PTB (42%) were treated successfully with short-course (6 months) therapy, whereas in patients with EPT (43%) needed a longer period (9 months) for successful treatment. Of the patients who defaulted treatment, a higher proportion (87%) had PTB. No MDR-TB or relapse cases were found in this study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, University of Malaya Medical Center, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. nissapat@hotmail.com
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Nissapatorn
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kuppusamy
authors.forename: B L H
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Sim
authors.forename: K F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Quek
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khairul Anuar
mesh_terms: D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008296:Malaysia / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*