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[HIV infection and pericardial disease invasion in Africa]
B Longo-Mbenza1, K Tonduangu, K V Seghers
1Centre de cardiologie du coeur de l'Afrique, Kinshasa-Limete, Zaïre.
The number of cases with pericardial disease has been increasing in Africa and particularly in Zäire, after AIDS was defined. To investigate a possible link between HIV infection and risen incidence of pericardial effusions, 64 patients randomly selected (32 HIV carriers and 32 HIV-seronegative as controls), with suspected pericardial disease were studied in a longitudinal trial from January 1991 to December 1994. Central and accessory cells of immune system were measured in conjunction with blood screening, electrocardiogram (ECG), chest X-ray and cardiac ultrasound. Haematological examination included also microscopical examination of blood films after May-Grünwald-Giemsa staining. There were significant decreases of hemoglobin, CD4 cells, and basophils in HIV-seropositive patients. Pericardial disease was estimated 8.8% of in-hospital prevalence, in which 70% of cases were related to HIV infection. The HIV related pericardial disease had an incidence of 1.8% per year. Etiology of pericardial disease depends on evolution and immunodepression level; 90.5% of pericardial effusions related to HIV are caused by tuberculosis as shown at the second pericardiocenthesis.
The number of cases with pericardial disease has been increasing in Africa and particularly in Zäire, after AIDS was defined. To investigate a possible link between HIV infection and risen incidence of pericardial effusions, 64 patients randomly selected (32 HIV carriers and 32 HIV-seronegative as controls), with suspected pericardial disease were studied in a longitudinal trial from January 1991 to December 1994. Central and accessory cells of immune system were measured in conjunction with blood screening, electrocardiogram (ECG), chest X-ray and cardiac ultrasound. Haematological examination included also microscopical examination of blood films after May-Grünwald-Giemsa staining. There were significant decreases of hemoglobin, CD4 cells, and basophils in HIV-seropositive patients. Pericardial disease was estimated 8.8% of in-hospital prevalence, in which 70% of cases were related to HIV infection. The HIV related pericardial disease had an incidence of 1.8% per year. Etiology of pericardial disease depends on evolution and immunodepression level; 90.5% of pericardial effusions related to HIV are caused by tuberculosis as shown at the second pericardiocenthesis.