Multifocal splenic abscesses in AIDS-related tuberculosis
Soriano, V.; Tor, J.; Adrados, M.; Muga, R.; Laguna, F.; Clotet, B.; González-Lahoz, J.
European Journal of Medicine 1(2): 124
1992
ISSN/ISBN: 1165-0478 PMID: 1342371 Document Number: 4353
This study confirms that extrapulmonary tuberculosis is the most frequent opportunistic infection in HIV-seropositive drug users, and that abdominal involvement may be present in one third of these cases. Although the lymphadenopathic form is the most frequent abdominal variant, multifocal splenic abscesses may occur. Thus, tuberculosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of multifocal splenic lesions in AIDS, in addition to extrapulmonary pneumocy stoses (3), lymphoma (4), bacillary angiomatosis (5), Kaposi's sarcoma, disseminated mycobacterium avium-intracellulare infection (6), pyogenic (7) and fungal abLL,ses (8). The presence of lungassociated illness, the recognition of abdominal enlarged lymph nodes with central low density due to necrosis, and patient history, such as drug addiction practices and low socioeconomic status, may help suggest the diagnosis of tuberculosis. Furthermore, our experience does not support splenectomy in these patients (9). Generally, a progressive decrease in the size of the splenic abscesses and complete resolution will be achieved after the introduction of antituberculous drugs.
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