Difficulties in distinguishing silicosis and pulmonary tuberculosis in silica-exposed gold miners: A report of four cases.

Silicosis and tuberculosis (TB) are both global health concerns, with high prevalence among miners from the South African gold mines. Although knowledge has accumulated about these two conditions as distinct diseases since the early 20th century, and despite progress in technology with multiple diagnostic tools and treatment options available for TB, the challenge of distinguishing and therefore efficiently managing these two conditions in this population remains as current as it was 100 years ago. To illustrate the diagnostic and health service problems of distinguishing TB and silicosis clinically and radiologically in former gold miners from the South African mines living in resource-poor areas, we discuss four cases reviewed for this report by a panel of experts.

HIV associated Lymphocytic Interstitial Pneumonia: a clinical, histological and radiographic study from an HIV endemic resource-poor setting.

Background: There is a paucity of clinical and histopathological data about HIV-associated lymphocytic interstitial pneumonitis (LIP) in adults from HIV endemic settings. The role of Ebstein-Barr virus (EBV) in the pathogenesis remains unclear.

Methods: We reviewed the clinical, radiographic and histopathological features of suspected adult LIP cases at the Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town South Africa, over a 6 year period.

The chest radiograph. A useful investigation in the evaluation of hypertensive patients.

Background: The assessment of target organ damage is important in the evaluation of a hypertensive patient as it provides information on the severity of the hypertension and the cardiovascular risk assessment. The aim of our study was to determine the usefulness of the chest radiograph in the assessment of target organ damage in hypertensive patients.

Methods: Unselected patients attending an academic hypertension clinic were studied.