Diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis complicating HIV infection: superiority of sputum smear over bronchoalveolar lavage.

Tuberculosis should be prominently considered in the differential diagnosis when an HIV-infected patient has respiratory symptoms. Sputum smears and culture for acid-fast organisms should always be obtained. Fiberoptic bronchoscopy to exclude other concurrent opportunistic infections is appropriate because Pneumocystis carinii complicates as many as 25% of the cases of pulmonary TB, but acid-fast sputum smears should always be obtained. It should not be assumed that bronchoalveolar lavage is superior to expectorated sputum smear for the rapid diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis.