What should be noted in the diagnosis of tuberculosis combined with AIDS?

Written by Xiong Hong Hai
Infectious Disease
Updated on September 19, 2024
00:00
00:00

The diagnosis of tuberculosis in individuals infected with AIDS generally involves examining certain clinical symptoms such as coughing, expectoration, low-grade fever, night sweats, and blood in sputum. Additionally, it requires analysis of specific characteristics in chest imaging, such as tuberculosis lesions identified in chest CT scans that are relatively specific. Microbial tests on sputum, such as sputum culture and acid-fast bacillus smear, are also essential. When necessary, tests for tuberculosis-infected T-cells can be conducted to provide a comprehensive diagnosis. After diagnosing concurrent pulmonary tuberculosis, anti-tuberculosis treatment is required.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Xiong Hong Hai
Infectious Disease
39sec home-news-image

Tuberculosis is a bacterial infection that primarily affects the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body. It is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Tuberculosis is mainly due to the infection of the human body by tuberculosis bacteria, which proliferate massively within the body, destroying the tissues and organs, and producing some blood syndromes related to combined toxins. Symptoms such as low-grade fever, night sweats, blood-stained sputum, and afternoon feverishness are common, and weight loss is also a common occurrence. Different forms of tuberculosis have different clinical symptoms. Tuberculosis can be cured if it is identified early and treated promptly and properly with anti-tuberculosis therapy, allowing many to recover completely.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Xiong Hong Hai
Infectious Disease
37sec home-news-image

What are some common early symptoms of tuberculosis?

Patients with tuberculosis tend to exhibit symptoms such as cough, expectoration, low-grade fever, night sweats, afternoon feverishness, and blood in sputum in the early stages. Systemic symptoms of tuberculosis include afternoon feverishness, which refers to the body temperature starting to rise in the afternoon and returning to normal by early morning. Night sweats refer to sweating profusely during sleep, which stops upon waking. These tuberculosis-related symptoms are commonly seen in the early stages of the disease.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Wang Chun Mei
Pulmonology
47sec home-news-image

Is a shadow on the lung definitely tuberculosis?

Shadows in the lungs are primarily revealed through imaging studies, a characteristic feature found in radiology. Clinically, lung shadows can be caused by tuberculosis, various lung tumors, or inflammatory lesions, which are also detected via imaging studies. Hence, the causes of lung shadows are numerous and complex in clinical settings. Discovering a shadow on the lungs through X-ray does not necessarily indicate tuberculosis. A definitive diagnosis should be based on a detailed patient history, other relevant clinical manifestations, and additional diagnostic tests. While tuberculosis might be a likely cause of lung shadows, it is not the cause in every case.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Yan Xin Liang
Pediatrics
38sec home-news-image

Symptoms of tuberculosis in children

Tuberculosis is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It can affect various organs throughout the body, but pulmonary tuberculosis is the most common. Initially, symptoms typically include some signs of tuberculosis toxicity, such as prolonged low-grade fever accompanied by coughing. Sometimes the coughing is not severe and may be mild, but in some cases, severe coughing can lead to hemoptysis and other conditions. Night sweats are also common, generally presenting with afternoon low-grade fever and night sweating, along with general fatigue, loss of appetite, difficulty eating, and weight loss.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by An Yong Peng
Pulmonology
50sec home-news-image

Does increased lung markings indicate tuberculosis?

Increased pulmonary markings are not an exclusive indicator of tuberculosis. The increase in pulmonary markings could be a sign of acute bronchitis or chronic pulmonary congestion. Additionally, although patients with bronchiectasis often show characteristics in a chest CT, it might only appear as increased pulmonary markings in a chest X-ray. Tuberculosis can present in various forms of lesions, often coexisting in multiple forms. Such forms may include infiltrative lesions, fibrous strip-like lesions, nodular lesions, or even lesions with calcification. For diagnosing tuberculosis, relying solely on chest X-rays or CT scans is sometimes insufficient. Further confirmation often requires additional tests such as sputum acid-fast staining and bronchoscopy.