Tuberculosis in dialysis: Clinical spectrum and outcome from an endemic region

Tuberculosis (TB) is a significant health problem in developing countries. There are limited data on TB among end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients on maintenance dialysis in India. Clinical profile and outcome of TB in dialysis were studied.

Retrospective study of ESRD patients who were on maintenance dialysis (either peritoneal dialysis [PD] or hemodialysis (HD]) and diagnosed to have TB over a period of 11 years.

Thirty-two patients had a diagnosis of TB. Mean age of the patients was 50.3 ±13.9 years. The majority (56.2%) of the patients were female. The modality of dialysis was HD in 53.1% and PD in 46.9%. Mean duration of dialysis at the diagnosis of TB was 15.1 ± 13.9 months. Over three-quarter of the patients had an extrapulmonary involvement. Pleuro-pulmonary (40.6%), peritoneum (34.4%), and lymph node (15.6%) were the most common sites for TB. About 6.3%patients had disseminated TB, and 3.1% had pericardial TB. The clinical presentation of TB was: fever/pyrexia of unknown origin 28.1%, constitutional symptoms of anorexia, fever, night sweats and weight loss 34.4%, abnormal chest radiograph 37.5%, ascites/peritonitis 34.4%, pleural effusion 25%, lymphadenopathy 18.8%, meningoencephalitis 6.3%, and pericardial effusion 3.1%. Peritoneal TB presented as nonresolving peritonitis in PD and ascites in HD. The diagnosis was a microbiological/histological in 50% and rest 50% only on clinical grounds. Nine (29%) patients had adverse effects of anti-TB drugs. Four patients of TB peritonitis had a poor gastrointestinal tolerance of anti-TB drugs and defaulted on the treatment and had an adverse outcome. About 53.1% of the patients survived, and 46.9% died.

TB in dialysis is mostly extrapulmonary. Early diagnosis is difficult, and the adverse effects of anti-TB medications complicate the treatment. TB in dialysis carries high morbidity and mortality. TB peritonitis has a poor prognosis.