TUBERCULOSIS AND HIV-INFECTION (GUIDELINE S TO DECREASE DELAY BETWEENFIRST CLINICAL SIGNS AND TREATMENTS ONSET)

Tuberculosis diagnostic is often delayed in HIV seropositive patients. First of all, tuberculosis may have an atypical (clinical and/or radi ological) pattern, peculiarly when localisations are extrathoracic or when the microbiologic proof is lacking (negative sputum smears and ne gative culture). Tuberculosis must be systematically discussed whateve r the clinical and radiological pulmonary signs, the patient's ethnic origin, his medical background, the level of immune deficiency, the re sults of previous or current skin tests (PPD); and even in patients ha ving received primary chimioprophylaxis.