The pathogen Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular protozoan that most commonly presents in persons with AIDS as reactivation of latent infection.
In the era of rapid transmittal of health information and frequent educational updates via the Internet, hardcover medical texts still have a place. A worthy newcomer in this regard is Psychiatric Aspects of HIV/AIDS, edited by Fernandez and Ruiz, a comprehensive sourcebook with contributions by a panel of experts.
A 33-year-old man from the Ivory Coast (who had been living in the United States for the past 8 years) received a diagnosis of AIDS when he presented with Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia. His CD4+ cell count was 6/µL, and his HIV RNA level was 575,000 copies/mL. He also presented with altered sensorium and seizure activity and was found to have obstructive hydrocephalus and ring-enhancing lesions in both cerebellar hemispheres and basal ganglia. Results of polymerase chain reaction testing of cerebrospinal fluid for Toxoplasma gondii were positive, and treatment for toxoplasmosis was started. A ventricular-peritoneal shunt was placed.
A 39-year-old woman complained of excruciating pain that radiated from a chronic lesion on the left upper lip to the entire left side of the face. She had AIDS (CD4+ cell count, 68/µL; HIV RNA level, greater than 750,000 copies/mL) but was not receiving antiretroviral therapy. The lesion first appeared as a blister, which ruptured after it was struck by a toy thrown by her son. It enlarged and became more painful despite antibiotic therapy and a 1-month course of valacyclovir. During this period, she had no fever. She used marijuana and alcohol for pain control.
Bilateral retrobulbar optic neuritis developed in a 38-year-old woman with advanced HIV infection. This was secondary to varicella-zoster virus (VZV) infection, confirmed by polymerase chain reaction detection of VZV in the patient's cerebrospinal fluid. There was no evidence of retinitis, and the ocular symptoms preceded the rash. This case illustrates that a new onset of unexplained visual loss resulting from optic neuritis in an HIV-positive patient may be caused by VZV infection. Clinicians should be aware of this unusual manifestation of VZV infection. Prompt recognition and early intervention with antivirals are needed, but it is unclear how much vision can be preserved.
Further hope for prevention of transmission as the search for a cure continues.
The words HIV or AIDS do not appear in the title of this book, and at first glance, this book appears to be about something else. On the contrary, it is about HIV and much more.
A 33-year-old, sexually active homosexual HIV-positive man, with a CD4+ T-lymphocyte count of 258/µL and HIV-1 RNA level of 7079 copies/mL, presented to his primary care physician with left upper quadrant pain, urgency to defecate, and non-bloody watery diarrhea.
As Indiana native John Mellencamp might say, “Ryan White was born in a small town.” Kokomo, Ind, in 1971 indeed was a thriving, relatively small community in America’s Heartland. A town founded on family values, hard work, and a full belief in the American Dream,
A 39-year-old woman complained of excruciating pain that radiated from a chronic lesion on the left upper lip to the entire left side of the face. She had AIDS (CD4+ cell count, 68/µL; HIV RNA level, greater than 750,000 copies/mL) but was not receiving antiretroviral therapy. The lesion first appeared as a blister, which ruptured after it was struck by a toy thrown by her son. It enlarged and became more painful despite antibiotic therapy and a 1-month course of valacyclovir. During this period, she had no fever. She used marijuana and alcohol for pain control.
Management of treatment-experienced patients with multidrug resistance can be challenging. Fortunately, since 2006, 4 new antiretroviral agents-darunavir, maraviroc, raltegravir, and etravirine-with activity against drug-resistant HIV have been approved.
Much has been written about the increase in non–AIDS-defining cancers in HIV-infected persons over the past decade.
Substance abuse, especially injection drug abuse, is often associated with chronic infectious diseases, including HIV infection, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and tuberculosis. Delivery of effective treatment for these chronic conditions can be very challenging in patients who continue to abuse substances.
We report a case of osteomyelitis due to Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare complex (MAC) in an AIDS patient shortly after the initiation of antiretroviral therapy with subsequent immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS).
A 50-year-old African American man with HIV infection had a CD4+ T-cell count of 18/μL (1%), CD8+ cell count of 1035/μL (69%), and CD4:CD8 ratio of 0.01 at the time of diagnosis. He had multiple erythematosquamous skin lesions over his forehead, face, chest, back, and extremities
Jake” was a 17-year-old high school student who came to see me with his supportive but anxious mother. Four months earlier, Jake’s pediatrician, having read the CDC recommendations for routine testing of all patients aged 13 to 64,
Pneumonia remains a concern for persons with long-standing HIV infection. We present a case of a 43-year-old HIV-infected woman with bilateral pneumonia whose presentation suggested the cause was a bacterial pathogen.
Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is the most common cause of sporadic encephalitis worldwide. In the California Encephalitis Project, 24% of the cases of viral encephalitis were caused by HSV-1 and 3% were caused by HSV-2.1
A 50-year-old African American man with HIV infection had a CD4+ T-cell count of 18/μL (1%), CD8+ cell count of 1035/μL (69%), and CD4:CD8 ratio of 0.01 at the time of diagnosis. He had multiple erythematosquamous skin lesions over his forehead, face, chest, back, and extremities
We report 4 cases of bladder cancer in an ethnically diverse population of about 2500 HIV-infected patients. These patients were younger than the median age at diagnosis of bladder cancer in the United States.
We report a case of osteomyelitis due to Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare complex (MAC) in an AIDS patient shortly after the initiation of antiretroviral therapy with subsequent immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS).
We report 4 cases of bladder cancer in an ethnically diverse population of about 2500 HIV-infected patients. These patients were younger than the median age at diagnosis of bladder cancer in the United States.
A 33-year-old, sexually active homosexual HIV-positive man, with a CD4+ T-lymphocyte count of 258/µL and HIV-1 RNA level of 7079 copies/mL, presented to his primary care physician with left upper quadrant pain, urgency to defecate, and non-bloody watery diarrhea.
A previously healthy 43-year-old man was referred to the hospital for the diagnosis of a nodular lesion in the mandibular gingiva.
We present the case of a 55-year-old man with AIDS who had disseminated Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare (MAI) infection who was nonadherent to antiretroviral treatment and prophylaxis for opportunistic infections.
Prolonged exposure to high-risk strains of human papillomavirus (HPV) and the dysplastic effects that HPV exerts on cells of the squamocolumnar transitional junction of the anal canal lead to anal intraepithelial neoplasia (AIN), which is a precursor to squamous cell carcinoma of the anus (SCCA).1 Anal HPV infection is present in 93% of HIV-positive men who have anoreceptive intercourse.2 Furthermore, anal dysplasia of any grade has been reported in 56% of HIV-infected men who participate in anoreceptive intercourse.3,4
Last month I reviewed key findings in HIV that were published within a 2-month interval near the end of 2007. I have extended that review here, reporting highlights of research announced in the last few weeks of 2007.
The lifetime cumulative risk of at least 1 abnormal ocular lesion for an HIV-positive person ranges from 52% to 100%. Ophthalmic involvement can occur during the early phase of HIV infection, and ocular lesions are mainly noted in the posterior segment.1,2
A 50-year-old African American man with HIV infection had a CD4+ T-cell count of 18/μL (1%), CD8+ cell count of 1035/μL (69%), and CD4:CD8 ratio of 0.01 at the time of diagnosis. He had multiple erythematosquamous skin lesions over his forehead, face, chest, back, and extremities