[Recurrence of tuberculosis in patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus]

To determine the clinical manifestations of the relapse of the tuberculosis (TB) in the patients infected by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the degree of immunodeficiency shown.

They are analyzed retrospectively 121 cases, all they HIV+, diagnosed of TB from November of 1985 until December of 1999. All they fulfilled correctly the specific treatment of the tuberculosis.

Of 121 studied cases, a total of 13 (10.7%) presented relapse of tuberculosis finally of a mean of 31.8 months (range 1-95). In 7 cases the affectation was pulmonary (2 typical, 5 non typical), in 3 mixed (pulmonary and extrapulmonary) and in 3 extrapulmonary. The clinical sintomatology were present in 92% of the cases and, predominantly, was: fever (92%), cough (69%), sweating, weight loss (61%). Hepatomegaly results be the exploratory finding quite frequent (54%). The mean of CD4+ lymphocytes was 141.7 (range 3-406), in 8 (61%) the lymphocyte counts was inferior to 100 cells/mm3. PPD was positive in 1 case (14%) and with respect to delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction test, it was observed not normoergia in all the cases (100%).

Relapse of the tuberculosis in patient infected by the VIH is presented with a manifested clinical expresivity in the course of a severe degree of immunodeficiency. In certain groups of risk as the intravenous drugs users, it must of be had a high level of suspicion of the relapse of the disease, above all in those patients that show low CD4+ lymphocyte counts.