TUBERCULOUS PERICARDIAL-EFFUSION ASSOCIATED WITH HIV-INFECTION - A SIGN OF DISSEMINATED DISEASE

Objective: To determine whether tuberculous pericardial effusion is as sociated with HIV infection. Design: Retrospective cohort study. Setti ng: Harare, Zimbabwe. Subjects: 61 consecutive patients presenting wit h tuberculous pericarditis over an 18 month period. Results: Tuberculo us pericarditis was significantly associated with HIV seropositivity ( odds ratio [OR] 2.46, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.4-4.3, P = 0.001) . The combination of tuberculous pericarditis and tuberculosis at anot her clinically obvious site (disseminated disease) was more common tha n pericarditis alone, and was significantly associated with HIV seropo sitivity (OR 6.1, CI 1,5-25, P = 0.007). Patients with disseminated di sease were usually in CDC stage IV prior to the diagnosis of their tub erculosis.