title: [Tuberculous peritonitis in HIV-infected patients].
abstract: In order to describe the clinical and laboratory findings of Mycobacterium tuberculosis peritonitis M. tuberculosis in HIV+ patients, we conducted a retrospective analysis of the medical records of HIV+ patients with isolation of M. tuberculosis from ascitic fluid (AF), assisted at Hospital Muñiz, Buenos Aires, Argentina (1996-2005).
  
  
  RESULTS
  21 patients were included. Median age: 33, male sex: 52%; peripheral blood CD4-T lymphocyte count (median): 85/mm3; prior history of tuberculosis: 40%; cirrhosis: 65%; enolism: 45%; HCV coinfection: 85%. The most frequent symptoms were abdominal distension (71%), fever (62%) and abdominal pain (19%). The chemical characteristics of the AF were (median): leukocyte count: 751/mm3 (mononuclear predominance: 79%), protein: 3.1 g/dl, LDH: 351 IU/l. AF samples positive for acid fast bacilli at direct microscopic examination: 14%. Infection with multidrug resistant M. tuberculosis (TB-MR): 20%. M. tuberculosis was isolated from other clinical samples in 79%. Fifteen patients received treatment for tuberculosis; in 30% of cases, it was not appropriate due to the susceptibility of the isolated strain. Overall mortality was 66.4%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  high mortality was observed, which may be attributable to the high frequency of TB-MR, the level of immunosuppression and the prevalence of cirrhosis secondary to enolism and/or HCV coinfection.
authors.affiliation: Unidad 4, Hepatopatías Infecciosas, Hospital Francisco J. Muñiz, Uspallata 2272 (1282), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cecchini
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Paz
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Poggi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Robles
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ambroggi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014395:Peritonitis, Tuberculous / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult