TUBERCULOSIS IN HEMODIALYSIS-PATIENTS

The autors report a retrospective study in order to illustrate the par ticular features of tuberculosis in hemodialysis population. Thirty tw o patients over 203 (15,8%) in periodic hemodialysis, have presented a tuberculosis between 1983 and 1996. There were 17 men and 15 women ag ed from 14 to 60 years old. The features of the tuberculosis in these cases were marked by the extrapulmonary localizations (50%) notably no des tuberculosis, and the difficuties of the diagnosis certainty. The diagnosis was suspected basing on the fever, the weigh loss, the rate sedimentation increase and the radiologic lesions in pulmonary tubercu losis and peripheric or deep lymph nodes involvement. The diagnosis co nfirmation was established bacteriologically in 6 cases (18,7%) and hi stologically in 14 cases (43,8%). The treatement consisted on the asso ciation of isoniazide, rifampicin and pyrazinamide which leads to reco very in 87,5%. This treatement was a diagnosis proof in the abcence of confirmation.