A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF CHEST RADIOGRAPHIC FEATURES BETWEEN HIV SEROPOSITIVE AND HIV SERONEGATIVE PATIENTS OF...

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Infectious Diseases
• Pulmonology

Background:

• Pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) presents varied radiographic findings.
• Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection can alter TB's typical presentation.
• Understanding these differences is crucial for accurate diagnosis and management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare chest radiographic findings of pulmonary TB in HIV-positive versus HIV-negative individuals.
• To identify specific radiological markers associated with TB in the context of HIV co-infection.
• To elucidate how HIV status influences the pattern of pulmonary TB on chest X-ray.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of chest radiographs from 50 HIV-positive TB patients and 100 HIV-negative TB patients.
• Systematic review of radiographic features including lymphadenopathy, pleural effusion, miliary pattern, cavitation, and zone of involvement.
• Statistical comparison of the incidence of these features between the two groups.

Main Results:

• HIV-positive patients had significantly higher rates of thoracic lymphadenopathy (36% vs 8%), pleural effusion (28% vs 10%), and miliary pattern (12% vs 2%).
• Cavitation was less frequent in HIV-positive individuals (8% vs 35%).
• Upper zone involvement was significantly less common in HIV-positive patients (38% vs 77%).

Conclusions:

• HIV co-infection significantly alters the chest radiographic appearance of pulmonary TB.
• Radiographic findings like lymphadenopathy, pleural effusion, and miliary patterns are more prevalent in HIV-positive TB patients.
• The reduced incidence of cavitation and upper zone involvement in HIV-positive patients highlights unique disease manifestations requiring tailored diagnostic approaches.