Tuberculosis in non-Haitian patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

From Jan 1, 1981 to Oct 31, 1984, 24 of 280 (8.6 percent) patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) had tuberculosis. No patient with both AIDS and tuberculosis was Haitian. In 15 patients, tuberculosis was diagnosed prior to or concomitant with the diagnosis of AIDS. Twelve patients (50 percent) had Mycobacterium tuberculosis grown from at least one extrapulmonary site. Although the clinical presentation was variable, no patient had cavitary and only one had apical disease. Histologic examination of lung and transbronchial biopsy specimens usually did not reveal acid-fast bacilli or granulomas. Seventeen patients were treated and all showed clinical improvement. Tuberculosis was infrequent but not rare in our patients and often preceded the diagnosis of AIDS. Despite the fact that many of these patients had both severe and extrapulmonary disease, they appeared to respond well to treatment.