[Thoracic manifestations of AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome)]

Radiol Med. 1989 Nov;78(5):461-72.
[Article in Italian]

Abstract

AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) seems to be related to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and is characterized by severe T-helpers lymphocyte dysfunction. Many of the AIDS patients (47-70%) develop pulmonary manifestations, both infectious and neoplastic, in the course of their disease. In the Department of Infectious Diseases of our Hospital are studied many patients HIV+. Every year 246 seropositive new patients have been discovered. Among them we have studied 25 subjects with respiratory disease, by chest radiographs; successively, according to clinical picture, we have performed thoracic computed tomography, Gallium scintigraphy, fiberoptic bronchoscopy with transbronchial biopsy (TBB), bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL); the majority of these patients (68%) had AIDS, only 28% had ARC and 4% had PGL. In our experience, the diagnosed diseases were mainly infections (92%), and most frequently (52%) due to Pneumocystis carinii, alone or in association with other etiologic agents. We have not found pathognomonic radiographic abnormalities, but chest X-ray evaluated with clinical and laboratory data, may often be useful to obtain diagnostic indications and in order to determine a more specific and aggressive diagnostic approach.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • AIDS-Related Complex / diagnosis
  • AIDS-Related Complex / diagnostic imaging
  • Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / diagnosis*
  • Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / diagnostic imaging
  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Biopsy
  • Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid
  • Bronchoscopy
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Lung Diseases / diagnosis
  • Lung Diseases / diagnostic imaging
  • Lung Neoplasms / diagnosis
  • Lung Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
  • Lymphoma / diagnosis
  • Lymphoma / diagnostic imaging
  • Male
  • Pneumonia / diagnosis
  • Pneumonia / diagnostic imaging
  • Pneumonia, Pneumocystis / diagnosis
  • Pneumonia, Pneumocystis / diagnostic imaging
  • Radiography, Thoracic*
  • Radionuclide Imaging
  • Sarcoma, Kaposi / diagnosis
  • Sarcoma, Kaposi / diagnostic imaging
  • Thoracic Diseases / diagnosis*
  • Thoracic Diseases / diagnostic imaging
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed
  • Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / diagnosis
  • Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / diagnostic imaging