[Tuberculosis in hemodialysis patients in Tunisia]

Because of the immunity depression, patients with chronic renal failure undergoing haemodialysis are at increased risk for developing infections, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTb) in particular.

To evaluate, in a prospective longitudinal study over 36 months period, the frequency of Tb among these patients and underline the diagnostic difficulties.

Sixty dialysis patients were interested. The Tb assessment comprised: a questionnaire, a meticulous clinical examination, a chest X-ray, a tuberculin skin testing, as well as MT bacilli screening in biological fluids.

Tb was seen in six among dialysis patients(10%), this rate represents 15 times the general population tuberculosis incidence in our country (23/100,000). Tb has occurred early compared to the beginning of the haemodialysis. The Tb localizations were: 4 cases of extra-pulmonary tuberculosis (3 peritoneal and one ganglionic) and only 2 cases of pleuro-pulmonary localization. The positive diagnosis represents a real problem: no bacteriological confirmation in all patients and only in one, the histological diagnosis was obtained.

There was a high rate of tuberculosis in our study. The prognosis appears to be closely related to therapeutic precocity, thus specific chemotherapy started sometimes without diagnostic confirmation.