Objective: Primary HIV infection presents a non-specific and polymorphous clinical profile. We present two cases which show how a high level of clinical awareness can lead to an early diagnosis.
Design: A retrospective study of all the HIV positive patients treated in Zaragoza's Miguel Servet Hospital between 1985 and 1991 was carried out. Site. The medical records studied concerned the hospital as regards admissions and out-patient consultations.
Patients: The two cases which we contributed fulfilled the serologic criteria of acute HIV infection.
Main measurements and results: The man-woman relationship was 1/1. The only way of contagion found was heterosexual. Predominant clinical symptoms were cutaneous-mucous, with a prominent condition of oesophagitis produced by Candida.
Conclusions: A high level of clinical awareness on the part of the Primary Care doctor can contribute significantly to the detection of new cases and controlling the HIV epidemic.