MATERIALS AND METHODS: The imaging studies for 12 patients with biopsy-proven hepatic tuberculosis from January 2012 till March 2014 were reviewed retrospectively. These cases were confirmed via ultrasound-guided biopsy.
RESULTS: The patients were aged 24-72 years. Four patients had parenchymal tuberculosis only and eight patients had mixed parenchymal and biliary duct involvement. The parenchymal tuberculosis patients showed poorly enhancing, hypodense nodules on CT with central calcification and adjacent dilated intrahepatic ducts. Most patients had multiple lesions except for two patients with a single lesion. The size of the lesions ranged from 0.5 to 6 cm. Seven patients with biliary duct involvement showed a hilar strictures involving the intrahepatic ducts and common bile duct. Nine of the patients showed hilar stricture with atrophy of the ipsilateral lobe of the liver and compensatory hypertrophy of the contralateral lobe. Hepatolithiasis was seen in five patients. Tuberculous lung involvement was seen in seven patients.
CONCLUSION: The presence of calcified and hypodense nodules with biliary duct dilatation associated with lobar atrophy were the most consistent features of hepatic tuberculosis, especially in the presence of active lung disease.
METHODS: We used data from the AIDS Care Cohort to Evaluate Exposure to Survival Services study, a long-running community-recruited cohort of PLWH who use illicit drugs linked to comprehensive HIV clinical records. The longitudinal relationship between daily pill burden and the odds of ≥95% adherence to ART among ART-exposed individuals was analyzed using multivariable generalized linear mixed-effects modeling, adjusting for sociodemographic, behavioural, and structural factors linked to adherence.
RESULTS: Between December 2005 and May 2014, the study enrolled 770 ART-exposed participants, including 257 (34%) women, with a median age of 43 years. At baseline, 437 (56.7%) participants achieved ≥95% adherence in the previous 180 days. Among all interview periods, the median adherence was 100% (interquartile range 71%-100%). In a multivariable model, a greater number of pills per day was negatively associated with ≥95% adherence (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 0.87 per pill, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.84-0.91). Further analysis showed that once-a-day ART regimens were positively associated with optimal adherence (AOR 1.39, 95% CI 1.07-1.80).
CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, simpler dosing demands (ie, fewer pills and once-a-day single tablet regimens) promoted optimal adherence among PLWH who use drugs. Our findings highlight the need for simpler dosing to be encouraged explicitly for PWUD with multiple adherence barriers.