[AIDS in Germany: clinical manifestations of AIDS]

Abstract

Since 1982, voluntary anonymous reports that meet the criteria of the WHO/CDC-AIDS definition are being collected by the Federal Health Office. By December 31st, 1989 a total of 4,306 AIDS cases has been registered. More than 80% of the reported cases are homo- and bisexual men and injection drug-users. The remaining cases are divided between hemophiliacs, persons who get infected by heterosexual contacts, blood transfusion recipients, and children infected pre- or perinatally. In 16% of all cases AIDS was diagnosed only on the basis of a Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) and in another 6% on the basis of KS and an opportunistic infection (OI). KS occurred mostly in homo- and bisexual men. The relative proportion of KS has steadily decreased from 30% up to 1986 to less than 20% in 1989. The overall incidence of KS decreased mainly due to the decrease of KS in homosexual men with AIDS. OI were diagnosed in 70% of the cases. Pneumocystis-carinii-pneumonia is most frequent (47%), followed by candida-oesophagitis (19%) and toxoplasmosis of brain in 9.5%. A malignant lymphoma was diagnosed in 3% of the cases. Furthermore, HIV-encephalopathy was seen in 2.8% and HIV-wasting-syndrome in 1.6% of cases. There is a different spectrum of diseases at the first manifestation of AIDS diagnosed in injecting drug-users. The reasons for this may be due to different life-style in this group.