Radiological Findings in Pulmonary Tuberculosis among HIV Infected and Uninfected Adult Patients inYenagoa, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Tuberculosis is one of the most serious public healthproblem globally and its pulmonary form is the most common clinical presentation. This study, undertaken in a tertiary hospital in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, retrospectively examined the radiology features of pulmonary tuberculosis in all HIV infected and unaffected adult patients attending its pulmonary tuberculosis clinic. Method: The chest radiography and case notes of the patients treated in the chest clinic between January 2012 and December 2013 were retrieved and evaluated according to radiological features. Results: Of the total of 307 chest radiography studied, 156 (53.7%) were male and 142 (46.3%) were female, showing a male preponderance of 1.2:1. PTB/HIV co-infection was in 116 (37.8%) of the cohorts studied. The commonest radiological feature observed were cavitory lesions (63.8%), patchy opacities (43.9%), and hilar opacities (38.1%). Bilateral cavitory lesions, patchy opacities and hilar opacities were commonest than on either right or left side. Bilateral chest disease was commoner in the cohorts with PTB/HIV co-infection. Perihilar patchy opacities were seen in 18.9%, consolidation in 5.2% and pleuraleffusion in 4.6% of the cohort. Conclusion: The chest radiography, though nonspecific, still remains a sensitive tool in the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis and will continue to provide essential guidance in the management and follow up of patients especially in our setting.