Diagnostic values of Xpert MTB/RIF, T-SPOT.TB and adenosine deaminase for HIV-negative tuberculous pericarditis in a high burden setting: a prospective observational study.

The diagnosis of tuberculous pericarditis (TBP) remains challenging. This prospective study evaluated the diagnostic value of Xpert MTB/RIF (Xpert) and T-SPOT.TB and adenosine deaminase (ADA) for TBP in a high burden setting. A total of 123 HIV-negative patients with suspected TBP were enrolled at a tertiary referral hospital in China. Pericardial fluids were collected and subjected to the three rapid tests, and the results were compared with the final confirmed diagnosis. Of 105 patients in the final analysis, 39 (37.1%) were microbiologically, histopathologically or clinically diagnosed with TBP. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) for Xpert were 66.7%, 98.5%, 96.3%, 83.3%, 44.0, 0.338, and 130.0, respectively, compared to 92.3%, 87.9%, 81.8%, 95.1%, 7.6, 0.088, and 87.0, respectively, for T-SPOT.TB, and 82.1%, 92.4%, 86.5%, 89.7%, 10.8, 0.194, and 55.8, respectively, for ADA (≥ 40 U/L). ROC curve analysis revealed a cut-off point of 48.5 spot-forming cells per million pericardial effusion mononuclear cells for T-SPOT.TB, which had a DOR value of 183.8, while a cut-off point of 41.5 U/L for ADA had a DOR value of 70.9. Xpert (Step 1: rule-in) followed by T-SPOT.TB [cut-off point] (Step 2: rule-out) showed the highest DOR value of 252.0, with only 5.7% (6/105) of patients misdiagnosed. The two-step algorithm consisting of Xpert and T-SPOT.TB could offer rapid and accurate diagnosis of TBP.

Hospital admissions for tuberculous pericarditis in the United States 2002-2014.

Background: Extra pulmonary manifestations of tuberculosis (TB) are rare in developed countries. TB is the main etiology of chronic pericarditis in developing countries, but it's epidemiology is not unknown in the United States. Methods: This retrospective study used the Healthcare Utilization Projects/Nationwide Inpatient Sample (HCUPS/NIS) database from 2002-2014 to evaluate the characteristics, risk factors, trends over time and region of tuberculous pericarditis in the United States. Results: The data during the study period consists of 100,790,900 discharges accounting for 482,872,274 weighted discharges. The data showed 744 weighted discharges with indication of both tuberculosis and pericarditis. A co-ocurrence of TB pericarditis and malignancy or chronic kidney disease was more common than in patients without TB pericarditis. The frequency of co-ocurrence of TB pericarditis and HIV infection, obesity, alcohol abuse and organ transplant was not elevated. Conclusion: TB pericarditis is rare disease in the USA and the classical risk factors for lung tuberculosis may not be associated with TB pericarditis. CKD and malignancy appear to be associated with TB pericarditis, further studies are required to determine causality.

Epidemiology of pericardial diseases in Africa: a systematic scoping review.

OBJECTIVES: This scoping review sought to summarise available data on the prevalence, aetiology, diagnosis, treatment and outcome of pericardial disease in Africa. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Scopus and African Journals Online from 1 January 1967 to 30 July 2017 to identify all studies published on the prevalence, aetiologies, diagnosis, treatment and outcomes of pericardial diseases in adults residing in Africa. RESULTS: 36 studies were included. The prevalence of pericardial diseases varies widely according to the population of interest: about 1.1% among people with cardiac complaints, between 3.3% and 6.8% among two large cohorts of patients with heart failure and up to 46.5% in an HIV-infected population with cardiac symptoms. Tuberculosis is the most frequent cause of pericardial diseases in both HIV-uninfected and HIV-infected populations. Patients with tuberculous pericarditis present mostly with effusive pericarditis (79.5%), effusive constrictive pericarditis (15.1%) and myopericarditis (13%); a large proportion of them (up to 20%) present in cardiac tamponade. The aetiological diagnosis of pericardial diseases is challenging in African resource-limited settings, especially for tuberculous pericarditis for which the diagnosis is not definite in many cases. The outcome of these diseases remains poor, with mortality rates between 18% and 25% despite seemingly appropriate treatment approaches. Mortality is highest among patients with tuberculous pericarditis especially those coinfected with HIV. CONCLUSION: Pericardial diseases are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in Africa, especially in HIV-infected individuals. Tuberculosis is the most frequent cause of pericardial diseases, and it is associated with poor outcomes.

Tuberculosis and the Heart.

Owing to the high prevalence of tuberculosis (TB) and human immunodeficiency virus/AIDS, tuberculous heart disease remains an important problem in TB endemic areas. In this review, we reiterate salient aspects of the traditional understanding and approach to its management, and provide important updates on the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment garnered over the past decade of focused clinical and basic science research. We emphasize that, if implemented widely, these improved evidence-based approaches to the disease can build on the early progress made in treating tuberculous heart disease and help further the goal of significantly reducing its historically high morbidity and mortality.

A prospective investigation into the effect of colchicine on tuberculous pericarditis.

INTRODUCTION: Tuberculous (TB) pericarditis carries significant mortality and morbidity rates, not only during the primary infection, but also as part of the granulomatous scar-forming fibrocalcific constrictive pericarditis so commonly associated with this disease. Numerous therapies have previously been investigated as adjuvant strategies in the prevention of pericardial constriction. Colchicine is well described in the treatment of various aetiologies of pericarditis. The aim of this research was to investigate the merit for the use of colchicine in the management of tuberculous pericarditis, specifically to prevent constrictive pericarditis. METHODS: This pilot study was designed as a prospective, double-blinded, randomised, control cohort study and was conducted at a secondary level hospital in the Northern Cape of South Africa between August 2013 and December 2015. Patients with a probable or definite diagnosis of TB pericarditis were included (n = 33). Study participants with pericardial effusions amenable to pericardiocentesis underwent aspiration until dryness. All patients were treated with standard TB treatment and corticosteroids in accordance with the South African Tuberculosis Treatment Guidelines. Patients were randomised to an intervention and control group using a web-based computer system that ensured assignment concealment. The intervention group received colchicine 1.0 mg per day for six weeks and the control group received a placebo for the same period. Patients were followed up with serial echocardiography for 16 weeks. The primary outcome assessed was the development of pericardial constriction. Upon completion of the research period, the blinding was unveiled and data were presented for statistical analysis. RESULTS: TB pericarditis was found exclusively in HIV-positive individuals. The incidence of pericardial constriction in our cohort was 23.8%. No demonstrable benefit with the use of colchicine was found in terms of prevention of pericardial constriction (p = 0.88, relative risk 1.07, 95% CI: 0.46-2.46). Interestingly, pericardiocentesis appeared to decrease the incidence of pericardial constriction. CONCLUSION: Based on this research, the use of colchicine in TB pericarditis cannot be advised. Adjuvant therapy in the prevention of pericardial constriction is still being investigated and routine pericardiocentesis may prove to be beneficial in this regard.

Novedades en pericarditis constrictiva. Una perspectiva europea / What's new in constrictive pericarditis? a european perspective

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[The prevalence of symptomatic infantile heart disease at Louga Regional Hospital, Senegal]. / Prevalence des cardiopathies infantiles symptomatiques au Centre Hospitalier Régional de Louga, Senegal.

The management of congenital or acquired infantile heart diseases in sub-Saharan African countries still presents problems, particularly with diagnosis and access to surgical treatment. Our objectives were to describe the heart diseases observed in the paediatric setting of the Louga Regional Hospital (LRH) and report their short-term evolution. In the study period from 1 July 2009 to 31 December 2012, 82 children out of 18,815 presented with heart disease, which was a prevalence of 4.3/1,000. There was a female predominance, with a ratio of 1.2. The most frequent presenting conditions were dyspnoea at 47.5%, followed by heart murmurs at 35.3%, and congestive heart failure at 13.4%. Congenital heart diseases were the most frequent, representing 69.5% of the cases, followed by acquired heart diseases at 29.3%, and mixed-type cases at 1.2%. The most frequently encountered congenital heart diseases were ventricular septal defect (24.4%), followed by atrioventricular septal defect (12.2%), tetralogy of Fallot (9.8%) and patent ductus arteriosus (7.3%). Acquired heart disease was represented by rheumatic heart disease, found in 25.6% of the cases, and tuberculous pericarditis in 3.7%. The mortality rate was high, with 20 children dying (24.4%) during the study period. Only 13 out of 82 patients (15.9%) were operable and surgery was carried out in France, courtesy of the association Humanitarian Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque. Infantile heart diseases were therefore not very frequent in the paediatric unit of Louga Regional Hospital. However, congenital heart disease was more frequent than acquired heart disease, with a high mortality rate. Access to surgery remains limited.

[Extrapulmonary tuberculosis]. / Les tuberculoses extrapulmonaires.

Each year, there are more than eight million new cases of tuberculosis and 1.3 million deaths. There is a renewed interest in extrapulmonary forms of tuberculosis as its relative frequency increases. Among extrapulmonary organs, pleura and lymph nodes are the most common. Their diagnosis is often difficult and is based on clinical, radiological, bacteriological and histological findings. Extrapulmonary lesions are paucibacillary and samplings, in most cases, difficult to obtain, so diagnosis is often simply presumptive. Nucleic acid amplification tests, which are fast and specific, have greatly facilitated the diagnosis of some forms of extrapulmonary tuberculosis. However, their sensitivity is poor and a negative test does not eliminate the diagnosis. Treatment is the same as for pulmonary forms, but its duration is nine to 12 months for central nervous system and for bone tuberculosis. Corticosteroids are indicated in meningeal and pericardial localizations. Complementary surgery is used for certain complicated forms.

Tuberculous Pericarditis is Multibacillary and Bacterial Burden Drives High Mortality.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculous pericarditis is considered to be a paucibacillary process; the large pericardial fluid accumulation is attributed to an inflammatory response to tuberculoproteins. Mortality rates are high. We investigated the role of clinical and microbial factors predictive of tuberculous pericarditis mortality using the artificial intelligence algorithm termed classification and regression tree (CART) analysis. METHODS: Patients were prospectively enrolled and followed in the Investigation of the Management of Pericarditis (IMPI) registry. Clinical and laboratory data of 70 patients with confirmed tuberculous pericarditis, including time-to-positive (TTP) cultures from pericardial fluid, were extracted and analyzed for mortality outcomes using CART. TTP was translated to log10 colony forming units (CFUs) per mL, and compared to that obtained from sputum in some of our patients. FINDINGS: Seventy patients with proven tuberculous pericarditis were enrolled. The median patient age was 35 (range: 20-71) years. The median, follow up was for 11.97 (range: 0·03-74.73) months. The median TTP for pericardial fluid cultures was 22 (range: 4-58) days or 3.91(range: 0·5-8·96) log10CFU/mL, which overlapped with the range of 3.24-7.42 log10CFU/mL encountered in sputum, a multi-bacillary disease. The overall mortality rate was 1.43 per 100 person-months. CART identified follow-up duration of 5·23 months on directly observed therapy, a CD4 + count of ≤ 199.5/mL, and TTP ≤ 14 days (bacillary load ≥ 5.53 log10 CFU/mL) as predictive of mortality. TTP interacted with follow-up duration in a non-linear fashion. INTERPRETATION: Patients with culture confirmed tuberculous pericarditis have a high bacillary burden, and this bacterial burden drives mortality. Thus proven tuberculosis pericarditis is not a paucibacillary disease. Moreover, the severe immunosuppression suggests limited inflammation. There is a need for the design of a highly bactericidal regimen for this condition.

[Pericardial tuberculosis is still an important differential diagnosis in Denmark]. / Tuberkuløs perikarditis er stadig en differentialdiagnose i Danmark.

We report a case where tuberculous pericarditis was diagnosed in a 46-year-old man with Turkish background. The patient had typical symptoms of tuberculosis in the form of chest pain, cough and breathlessness and systemic symptoms such as fever, weight loss and fatigue. An echocardiography showed pericardial effusion, and diagnosis was confirmed by culture of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from gastric aspirate and lymph node biopsy. Since there is an efficient cure for this potentially deathly infection it is of great importance to find the specific diagnose, and it is important that all physicians are aware of this disease.

Prevalence and determinants of extrapulmonary involvement in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis in a Sub-Saharan African country: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Determinants of extrapulmonary involvement during pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) have not been extensively investigated. We assessed the prevalence and determinants of extrapulmonary involvement during PTB in a Sub-Saharan African country with a high prevalence of both TB and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. METHODS: The medical records of patients aged ≥ 15 y, admitted for a first episode of TB to the Pneumology Service of Yaoundé Jamot Hospital, Cameroon, between 2009 and 2010 were considered. Determinants of extrapulmonary involvement were investigated through logistic regression. RESULTS: A total of 984 patients (58.9% male), with a median age (25(th)-75(th) percentiles) of 32 (25-41) y were admitted for a first episode of TB, including 629 (63.9%) with isolated PTB, 127 (12.9%) with isolated extrapulmonary TB (EPTB), and 228 (23.2%) with both PTB and EPTB (PTB/EPTB). Therefore, the prevalence of EPTB among those with PTB was 26.6% (228/857). The main determinants of EPTB among patients with PTB were male sex (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 2.71, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.71-4.03), HIV infection (OR 2.20, 95% CI 1.36-3.55), absence of fibrotic lung lesions (OR 1.96, 95% CI 1.23-3.14), smear-negative PTB (OR 7.20, 95% CI 4.13-12.56), anaemia (OR 1.60, 95% CI 1.03-2.50), and leukopenia (OR 2.59, 95% CI 1.12-5.98). CONCLUSIONS: About a quarter of patients with PTB in this setting also have extrapulmonary involvement. EPTB is less contagious, less frequent than PTB, and less well addressed by programs in developing countries, while its identification is important for optimizing care. The presence of determinants of EPTB among patients with PTB should motivate active investigation of extrapulmonary involvement in order to improve management.

Pericardiectomy vs medical management in patients with relapsing pericarditis.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether surgical pericardiectomy is a safe and effective alternative to medical management for chronic relapsing pericarditis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Retrospective review of 184 patients presenting to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, from January 1, 1994, through December 31, 2005, with persistent relapsing pericarditis identified 58 patients who had a pericardiectomy after failed medical management and 126 patients who continued with medical treatment only. The primary outcome variables were in-hospital postoperative mortality or major morbidity, all-cause death, time to relapse, and medication use. RESULTS: Mean ± SD follow-up was 5.5 ± 3.5 years in the surgical group and 5.4 ± 4.4 years in the medical treatment group. At baseline, patients in the surgical group had higher mean relapses (6.9 vs 5.5; P=.01), were more likely to be taking colchicine (43.1% [n=25] vs 18.3% [n=23]; P=.002) and corticosteroids (70.7% [n=41] vs 42.1% [n=53]; P<.001), and were more likely to have undergone a prior pericardiotomy (27.6% [n=16] vs 11.1% [n=14]; P=.003) than the medical treatment group. Perioperative mortality (0%) and major morbidity (3%; n=2) were minimal. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed no differences in all-cause death at follow-up (P=.26); however, the surgical group had a markedly decreased relapse rate compared with the medical treatment group (P=.009). Medication use was notably reduced after pericardiectomy. CONCLUSION: In patients with chronic relapsing pericarditis in whom medical management has failed, surgical pericardiectomy is a safe and effective method of relieving symptoms.

[Extrapulmonary tuberculosis]. / La tuberculose extrapulmonaire.

Extrapulmonary tuberculosis represents an increasing proportion of all cases of tuberculosis reaching 20 to 40% according to published reports. Extrapulmonary TB is found in a higher proportion of women, black people and immunosuppressed individuals. A significant proportion of cases have a normal chest X-Ray at the time of diagnosis. The most frequent clinical presentations are lymphadenitis, pleuritis and osteoarticular TB. Peritoneal, urogenital or meningeal tuberculosis are less frequent, and their diagnosis is often difficult due to the often wide differential diagnosis and the low sensitivity of diagnostic tests including cultures and genetic amplification tests. The key clinical elements are reported and for each form the diagnostic yield of available tests. International therapeutic recommendations and practical issues are reviewed according to clinical presentation.

[Proportion and site distribution of extrarespiratory tuberculosis in 2007-2010 in Romania]. / Ponderea si structura pe localizari a tuberculozei extrarespiratorii in perioada 2007-2010 în România.

In the actual context of an increased TB endemia (notification rate of 90.5 per thousand, meaning 21457 cases in 2010, but with a constant decreasing trend in the last 8 years), we wanted to see what is the share and structure of extra-respiratory tuberculosis in the period 2007-2010. In the interval 2007-2010 have been registered annually between 1252-1267 extra-respiratory TB cases. Extra-respiratory TB have been between 30% and 42,1% from all TB cases registered annually with the extra-pulmonary TB. In the descending order of cases recorded with TB extra respiratory in 2010, the first was extra-thoracic ganglionary TB (244 cases), followed by osteo-articulary (233) and those of meningo-encephalitis and CNS TB (133). Location of TB on the spine remains the most common form of skeletal TB, representing 62.2% (145 cases) of all osteo-articulary locations. The number of registered cases of pericardial effusions TB annually remains steady at 40-50 cases. The number still high of meningo encephalitis TB (severe prognosis, epidemiological severity) involves enhanced accountability measures in TB control of the territory. The collaboration between the pulmonologist and the body specialist constitutes compulsory condition of quality assistance in case of TB extra respiratory sites.

The prevalence and outcome of effusive constrictive pericarditis: a systematic review of the literature.

There is sparse information on the epidemiology of effusive constrictive pericarditis (ECP). The objective of this article was to review and summarise the literature on the prevalence and outcome of ECP, and identify gaps for further research. The prevalence of ECP ranged from 2.4 to 14.8%, with a weighted average of 4.5% [95% confidence interval (CI) 2.2-7.5%]. Sixty-five per cent (95% CI: 43-82%) of patients required pericardiectomy regardless of the aetiology. The combined death rate across the studies was 22% (95(CI: 4-50%). The prevalence of ECP is low in non-tuberculous pericarditis, while pericardiectomy rates are high and mortality is variable. In this review, of 10 patients identified with tuberculous ECP, only one presumed case had a definite diagnosis of ECP. Appropriate studies are needed to determine the epidemiology of ECP in tuberculous pericarditis, which is one of the leading causes of pericardial disease in the world.

Pericarditis tuberculosa: una entidad infrecuente de una enfermedad frecuente / Tuberculous pericarditis: an unusual presentation of a common disease

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Cardiac manifestations of HIV infection: an African perspective.

The pericardium, myocardium, coronary arteries and pulmonary arteries are the main targets for cardiac disease in people who are infected with HIV. Geography and access to highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) have a major influence on which of these targets is affected. In sub-Saharan Africa, where tuberculosis is endemic and access to HAART is limited, the dominant forms of HIV-associated heart disease are pericardial tuberculosis and cardiomyopathy. However, in industrialized countries, where tuberculosis is rare and HAART is widely available, coronary artery disease is the main cause of death and disability in these patients. Observational data suggest that HAART, by preserving immune function, reduces the incidence of myopericardial disease and pulmonary hypertension. The result has been that, although optimal strategies to reduce vascular disease in this population continue to be sought and debated in industrialized nations, the focus of prevention and treatment strategies for HIV-related heart disease in developing countries has been to support the active campaigns to get universal access to HAART in the first place. Herein, we review the cardiac manifestations of HIV in sub-Saharan Africa.