ackground: The changes in body composition markers (weight, fat mass, lean mass, and BMI) over time can be associated with TB treatment outcome among HIV-infected patients. The aim of this study was to investigate whether changes in fat mass and lean mass were associated with the treatment response among patients with HIV infection and pulmonary tuberculosis. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective cohort study. Data from HIV-infected patients commencing TB therapy were analyzed. This included body weight measurement using bioimpedance equipment at baseline, one month, and two months after starting TB treatment. Results: The study was conducted in 125 patients, 17 patients (13.6%) died during treatment, of which 5 died during the first month of treatment, 4 during the second month and 8 after the second month. The group of patients with good response, increased their weight by 1.3 kg (p <0.001) at the end of the first month of TB treatment and 2.6 kg in the second month (p <0.001), and body fat increase was 1.2 Kg (p <0.001) and 2.3 kg (p <0.001), the first and second month respectively. The group of patients who died had lost 2.1 kg fat mass after the first month (p <0.001) and 3.7 kg in the second month (p <0.001). Conclusions: Our results show that the weight change during TB treatment (increased fat mass) helps us predict therapeutic response. Weight loss during the first month of starting therapy should be evaluated thoroughly to identify the probable cause of treatment failure.

Background: The main cause of death in HIV patients is tuberculosis (TB). However, few Latin American studies have evaluated the prognosis of patients with coinfection. Aim: To determine the factors associated with survival in patients with HIV-TB coinfection treated at a Peruvian referral hospital. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed based on clinical records of patients treated at the Department of Infectious Diseases in the Arzobispo Loayza National Hospital from 2004 to 2012. Survival was assessed using the Kaplan-Meier estimator and Cox Proportional Hazard Model. Results: From 315 patients, 82 died during the follow-up. The mean of follow for each patient was 730 days. The multivariate analysis showed that receiving HAART (HR: 0,31; IC: 0,20-0,50; p < 0,01) and having more weight (HR: 0,96; IC 0,94–0,98; p < 0,01) when the coinfection was diagnosed, were protective factors; while having a pathology different from TB (HR: 1,88; IC: 1,19-2,98; p < 0,01), age in years (HR: 1,76; IC: 1,12-2,74; p ≤ 0,01) and being hospitalized when diagnosed with TB (HR: 1,69; IC 1,02-2,80; p < 0,04) were associated with lower survival. Discussion: Receiving HAART and having more weight when the coinfection is diagnosed were associated with a higher chance of survival.

Pott’s disease is a health problem in developing countries and its diagnosis in children is a challenge. Here we present the case of a two-year-old boy with Pott’s disease involving T1 to T3 thoracic vertebrae. The clinical presentation was characterized by difficulty walking, fever, cough, and dyspnea. At physical examination, kyphosis and bony prominence were observed in the cervicodorsal area. A positive tuberculin test was obtained, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis was isolated via culture of the gastric aspiration sample. The spine MRI showed a chronic abscess, destruction of two vertebrae, and bone marrow compression. The patient experienced some improvement with anti-TB therapy. Here, we emphasize the importance of giving consideration to the clinical suspicion for the early detection of this condition, as well as a quick TB-treatment start so as to avoid the disability and mortality associated to this disease.

Objectives: To develop a clinical prediction rule (CPR) for the diagnosis of pleural tuberculosis (PT) in patients with pleural exudates in Peru. Methods: Clinical and laboratory information was collected from patients with exudative pleural effusion attending two reference hospitals in Lima, Peru. Predictive findings associated with PT in a multiple logistic regression model were used to develop the CPR. A definite diagnosis of PT was based on a composite reference standard including bacteriological and/or histological analysis of pleural fluid and pleural biopsy specimens. Results: A total of 238 patients were included in the analysis, of whom 176 had PT. Age, sex, previous contact with a TB patient, presence of lymphadenopathy, and pleural adenosine deaminase (ADA) levels were found to be independently associated with PT. These predictive findings were used to construct a CPR, for which the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC) was 0.92. The single best cut-off point was a score of ≥60 points, which had a sensitivity of 88%, specificity of 92%, a positive likelihood ratio of 10.9, and a negative likelihood ratio of 0.13. Conclusions: The CPR is accurate for the diagnosis of PT and could be useful for treatment initiation while avoiding pleural biopsy. A prospective evaluation is needed before its implementation in different settings.