OBJECTIVES: Study of pulmonary and extrapulmonary TB in 700 children hospitalized for HIV infection/AIDS in Municipal Hospital of Constanta from July '82 until December '82. METHODS: Clinical, laboratory and X-ray study of 70 cases of TB in HIV infected children, evolution and treatment. RESULTS: TB was diagnosed in 10% of HIV infected cases at children with age between 3 months and 6 years, 38 boys (55%) and 32 girls (45%). We diagnosed 51 cases of pulmonary tuberculosis (72%), 17 pulmonary and extrapulmonary tuberculosis (24%) and only 2 extrapulmonary tuberculosis (4%). Clinical characteristics: pneumopathy, extrathoracic tuberculous lymphadenopathy, abscesses, pericarditis, meningitis, osteo-arthritis. These were accompanied always by fever, weight loss, cough. Intradermal skin testing with PPD was negative (positive just in one case). Bacteriological diagnoses was realized on Ziehl-Neelsen staining to be packed with acid-fast bacilli (from CSF, pericardial fluid, peritoneal fluid, bronchoalveolar-lavage fluid), or (much more rare) by culture in 20 cases (20%). The histologic diagnosis was always pathognomonic when it was realized at autopsy or after lymph node biopsy or liver biopsy. Chest roentgenographic findings were diffuse lesions (interstitial or micronodular), upper-lobe infiltrate, pleural effusions, pericarditis; cavitations were not relevant. 15 children died. Treatment with isoniazid 10 mg/bw daily, rifampin 15 mg/bw daily and pyrazinamide 25 mg/bw daily. DISCUSSION: Many cases of atypical TB; many cases with multiple places of tuberculous infections pulmonary, lymph node meningitis, skin abscess, pericardial, peritoneal).

*HIV Infections/COMPLICATIONS

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