Resumen

ALBUQUERQUE, Maria de Fátima Militão de et al. Radiographic features of pulmonary tuberculosis in patients infected by HIV: is there an objective indicator of co-infection?. Rev. Soc. Bras. Med. Trop. [online]. 2001, vol.34, n.4, pp. 369-372. ISSN 0037-8682.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0037-86822001000400010.

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.

Palabras llave : Tuberculosis; HIV/AIDS; Radiographic features.