OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the correlation between clinical and autopsy findings in 250 AIDS patients. METHODS: Clinical and autopsy diagnoses of AIDS-defining diseases in 250 AIDS patients who died in Milan between May 1984 and February 1991 were compared. RESULTS: Pneumocystis carinii (PCP) and oesophageal candidiasis were the most frequent clinical diagnoses, while cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection was observed in almost half of the autopsies. Forty-seven per cent of the diseases found at autopsy had not been diagnosed during life; CMV infection, mycoses, HIV-specific brain lesions, cerebral lymphomas and progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) had a higher rate of non-diagnosis in life. CMV visceral infection accounted for the majority of the diseases not recognized in life. In contrast, clinically diagnosed PCP, oesophageal candidiasis and, to a lesser degree, brain toxoplasmosis were often not found at autopsy, possibly indicating a significant rate of recovery and prevention of relapse. Finally, bacterial pneumonia and sepsis, although not AIDS indicator diseases, were observed in approximately one-third of the autopsies. CONCLUSION: Considerable differences in the frequency and type of the AIDS-defining diseases diagnosed during life and at post mortem were found.
AIDS-defining diseases in 250 HIV-infected patients; a comparative study of clinical and autopsy diagnoses / A. d'Arminio Monforte, L. Vago, A. Lazzarin, R. Boldorini, T. Bini, S. Guzzetti, S. Antinori, M. Moroni, G. Costanzi.. - In: AIDS. - ISSN 0269-9370. - 6:10(1992 Oct), pp. 1159-1164.
Titolo: | AIDS-defining diseases in 250 HIV-infected patients; a comparative study of clinical and autopsy diagnoses |
Autori: | D'ARMINIO MONFORTE, ANTONELLA (Primo) VAGO, GIANLUCA GAETANO (Secondo) |
Parole Chiave: | AIDS-defining diseases; Autopsy diagnosis; Clinical diagnosis |
Settore Scientifico Disciplinare: | Settore MED/17 - Malattie Infettive |
Data di pubblicazione: | ott-1992 |
Rivista: | |
Tipologia: | Article (author) |
Appare nelle tipologie: | 01 - Articolo su periodico |