Retreatment of tuberculosis patients in the city of Porto Alegre, Brazil: outcomes.

Objective: To describe the outcomes of retreatment in tuberculosis patients receiving the regimen known, in Brazil, as regimen 3 (streptomycin, ethambutol, ethionamide, and pyrazinamide for 3 months + ethambutol and ethionamide for 9 months) after treatment failure with the basic regimen (rifampin, isoniazid, and pyrazinamide for 2 months + rifampin and isoniazid for 4 months).

Methods: A descriptive, uncontrolled, historical cohort study involving adult tuberculosis patients treated with regimen 3. We evaluated adverse drug effects, recurrence, treatment outcomes, and associated factors.

Differences in the clinical and radiological presentation of intrathoracic tuberculosis in the presence or absence of HIV infection.

Objective: To describe the differences in the clinical and radiological presentation of tuberculosis in the presence or absence of HIV infection.

Methods: A sample of 231 consecutive adults with active pulmonary tuberculosis admitted to a tuberculosis hospital were studied, assessing HIV infection, AIDS, and associated factors, as well as re-evaluating chest X-rays.

Results: There were 113 HIV-positive patients (49%) Comparing the 113 HIV-positive patients (49%) to the 118 HIV-negative patients (51%), the former presented a higher frequency of atypical pulmonary tuberculosis (pulmonary lesions accompanied by intrathoracic lymph node enlargement), hematogenous tuberculosis, and pulmonary tuberculosis accompanied by superficial lymph node enlargement, as well as presenting less pulmonary cavitation.