Role of HRCT in Evaluation of Lung Parenchymal Changes in Symptomatic HIV-Seropositive Individuals - Original Research Article

Abstract

Background: The association between spectrum of pulmonary infection and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) presents an immediate and grave public health and socio-economic threat, particularly in the developing world. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the different patterns of pulmonary abnormalities in HIV patients, to define imaging features of each disease whether infective, non-infective or HIV associated pulmonary malignancy, to differentiate different pulmonary diseases in HIV patients on the basis of pattern of involvement and localization of lesions. Materials and Methods: The cases were selected based on all patients referred to the Department of Radiology, LLRM Medical College, Meerut with proven HIV/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) infection which was clinically suspected of pulmonary infections. HRCT was done. Results: Total 60 cases of HIV/AIDS with suspected pulmonary disease were studied. Out of which 39 were male and 21 were female. Out of which 51.67 % of patients were diagnosed as having pulmonary TB, followed by bacterial infection in 10 % cases and fungal infection like aspergillus in 5%, pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia in 2% & cryptococcus in 1% patients, ILD in 3% and thromboembolism in 1% patients while 23.3% of our study did not reveal any significant abnormality. Conclusion: Various findings such as pulmonary TB being the most common infection and most common HRCT finding in pulmonary TB were nodular opacity can be obtained from the present study. HRCT is a highly sensitive tool for detecting parenchymal abnormalities and allows better characterization of the lesions, with better reproducibility and less interobserver difference. Keywords: interstitial lung disease, Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, Miliary tuberculosis, Pulmonary tuberculosis, pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia.