Pattern of extra-pulmonary tuberculosis in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection, at a tertiary care centre in eastern India

Abstract

Introduction: Tuberculosis and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) co infection is becoming one of the most important public health issues in India. In some developing countries, 40% of all tuberculosis cases are attributed to HIV infection and in more than 50% of cases, tuberculosis is the first manifestation of HIV infection. Materials and methods: A cross sectional study was done among the in-patients of a tuberculosis ward in a tertiary care hospital in Eastern India. Fifty patients with HIV and tuberculosis infection of an extra pulmonary site, were included in the study. Results: A vast majority of the participants were young males. More than 80% were using intoxicants like alcohol or tobacco, 76% admitted exposure to commercial sex workers and 12% were intravenous drug users. Twenty five (50%) of the participants had disseminated tuberculosis, that is tubercular infection of more than one anatomical site. Maximum (62%) participants had tubercular infection of lymph nodes, followed by pleura, abdomen and central nervous system. Discussion and conclusions: The sociodemographic correlates of participants were similar to that seen in similar studies in other parts of the world. But in our study, tubercular lymphadenitis was the most common extra-pulmonary manifestation and proportion of disseminated tuberculosis cases was as high as 50%. Both these findings are different from studies from other parts of the world. These findings warrant a larger research study and programmatic changes to address issues of HIV/TB co infection.