[The importance of tuberculosis in the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. The clinical and therapeutic aspects].

These is presented a study of 50 patients suffering TB and AIDS. The universe was divided in two: group I, when TB was considered the first manifestation of AIDS; (27 males and 2 females). Group II, when TB was preceded by some opportunistic infection, some kind of cancer, or some clinical symptoms compatible with wasting syndrome; (20 males and 1 female). There was no difference between the two groups regarding epidemiology, since homo-bisexuality was the most frequent among males. Neither were significantly different the clinical features of TB in both groups, and the most frequent symptoms were: fever, productive cough and painful lymphadenopathy. Both groups showed miliary infiltration on the lung X-rays; lymph nodes were the most frequent extrapulmonary localization. The only significant difference was found when the mortality was compared group I, 10 patients (34.4%) vs 16 (76%) from group II (p less than 0.01). An other part of the study is related with the efficacy of rifampin and isoniazide (31 cases), compared to their efficiency when these drugs are used combined with a third one (10 cases); the results showed no significant difference.