Objective: To study the clinical profile and assess the utility of the procedures performed for the diagnosis of extrapulmonary TB (EPTB) in HIV patients.
Design: Prospective observational study of HIV patients suspected to have EPTB.
Results: Two hundred and thirty HIV-infected patients were enrolled over 18 months. Of them, 87 cases had active TB, 60 (69%) of whom were of EPTB. Major presenting symptoms were fever (93.3%), weight loss (80%) and cough (61.6%). The most common site of active EPTB was the abdomen (70%), which could be detected due to routine use of abdominal ultrasonography, followed by CT scans in inconclusive cases. Peripheral lymph node (22%), pleura (15%), CNS involvement (3%) and one case each of psoas abscess and mediastinal lymphadeopathy were the other extra-pulmonary sites seen. Diagnosis of peripheral lymph node and pleural TB was based on cytological and mycobacterial examinations. Direct smear examinations were positive for AFB in 11 of 24 samples and mycobacterial cultures were positive in five of 18 samples. The median CD4 cell count in our HIV-EIPTB cases was 126 cells/micro1 (IQR=79.5-205.75). There was no statistical difference in the baseline CD4 cell counts in patients with PTB vs EPTB (p=0.70), single vs multiple extra-pulmonary site involvement (p=0.57), and AFB positive vs AFB negative EPTB cases (p=0.51).
Conclusions: EPTB is the most common form of TB in HIV patients with low CD4 cell counts. Fever, weight loss and cough are common presenting symptoms of EPTB. Routine abdominal ultrasonography followed by an abdominal CT scan in inconclusive cases can significantly increase the detection of abdominal TB.