Pulmonary tuberculosis in HIV-infected patients with normal chest radiographs.

ABSTRACT

SUBJECTS: Three HIV-infected patients with active pulmonary non-disseminated tuberculosis and normal chest radiograph at clinical presentation and during follow-up are reported. Patients had cough and fever but no other specific symptoms. Löwenstein cultures of specimens from bronchoalveolar lavage in two cases and induced sputum in one yielded Mycobacterium tuberculosis. CONCLUSIONS: The diagnosis of tuberculosis in HIV-infected patients depends greatly on clinical suspicion by the physician, because of its atypical presentation. Failure to perform appropriate diagnostic tests in HIV-infected patients who present with suspected pulmonary disease will result in underdiagnosis and undertreatment of tuberculosis.

ABSTRACT

PIP Between 1984-1991, physicians at Hospital del Mar in Barcelona, Spain and the area with the highest prevalence of tuberculosis (TB) diagnosed active pulmonary nondisseminated TB in 57 HIV infected patients. 3 of these patients consistently had normal chest radiographs. All 3 patients had fever and cough. Case 1 was a 26 year old female intravenous (IV) drug user. She had generalized lymphadenopathy. Hematologic tests revealed an HIV positive status. Her CD4+ lymphocyte count was 782 x 10 to the 6th power/1. Her tuberculin skin test was negative. Mycobacterium tuberculosis in her sputum grew in Lowenstein medium. Acid fast bacilli were detected in her sputum with Ziehl-Nielsen stain. Physicians began antiTB therapy (isoniazid, pyrazinamide, rifampin, and ethambutol). She improved within a few weeks. Case 2 was an HIV positive IV drug user and 33 years old. The CD4+ lymphocyte count was 645 x 10 to the 6th power/1. Acid fast bacilli were detected in his bronchoalveolar lavage with Ziehl-Nielsen stain. M. Tuberculosis in the lavage grew in Lowenstein medium. The physicians started him on the same antiTB therapy as Case 1. His condition improved with therapy. Case 3 was a 50 year old bisexual man. Hematologic tests showed HIV positivity. His CD4+ lymphocyte count was 790 x 10 to the 6th power/1. Further his tuberculin skin test was negative. Fibre optic bronchoscopic samples were negative for acid fast bacilli, but M. tuberculosis grew in Lowenstein culture. Blood, urine, bone marrow and gastric aspirates tested negative for M. tuberculosis. He began the same antiTB therapy as Cases 1 and 2. His condition improved. In conclusion, physicians should aggressively pursue a diagnosis to TB in HIV infected patients presenting with fever and cough. Their rate of hospitalization should fall with early diagnosis and treatment which will in turn prevent the spread of TB among the population.