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Published in: BMC Infectious Diseases 1/2009

Open Access 01-12-2009 | Research article

Clinical and ultrasonographic features of abdominal tuberculosis in HIV positive adults in Zambia

Authors: Edford Sinkala, Sylvia Gray, Isaac Zulu, Victor Mudenda, Lameck Zimba, Sten H Vermund, Francis Drobniewski, Paul Kelly

Published in: BMC Infectious Diseases | Issue 1/2009

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Abstract

Background

The diagnosis of abdominal tuberculosis (TB) is difficult, especially so in health care facilities in developing countries where laparoscopy and colonoscopy are rarely available. There is little information on abdominal TB in HIV infection. We estimated the prevalence and clinical features of abdominal (excluding genitourinary) TB in HIV infected adults attending the University Teaching Hospital, Zambia.

Methods

We screened 5,609 medical inpatients, and those with fever, weight loss, and clinical features suggestive of abdominal pathology were evaluated further. A clinical algorithm was used to specify definitive investigations including laparoscopy or colonoscopy, with culture of biopsies and other samples.

Results

Of 140 HIV seropositive patients with these features, 31 patients underwent full evaluation and 22 (71%) had definite or probable abdominal TB. The commonest presenting abdominal features were ascites and persistent tenderness. The commonest ultrasound findings were ascites, para-aortic lymphadenopathy (over 1 cm in size), and hepatomegaly. Abdominal TB was associated with CD4 cell counts over a wide range though 76% had CD4 counts <100 cells/μL.

Conclusion

The clinical manifestations of abdominal TB in our HIV-infected patients resembled the well-established pattern in HIV-uninfected adults. Patients with fever, weight loss, abdominal tenderness, abdominal lymphadenopathy, ascites and/or hepatomegaly in Zambia have a high probability of abdominal TB, irrespective of CD4 cell count.
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Metadata
Title
Clinical and ultrasonographic features of abdominal tuberculosis in HIV positive adults in Zambia
Authors
Edford Sinkala
Sylvia Gray
Isaac Zulu
Victor Mudenda
Lameck Zimba
Sten H Vermund
Francis Drobniewski
Paul Kelly
Publication date
01-12-2009
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Infectious Diseases / Issue 1/2009
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2334
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2334-9-44

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