[Cardiac lesions in AIDS]

Abstract

The frequency of cardiac lesions in AIDS patients is diversely evaluated. At post-mortem examination macroscopic lesions are said to have been found in 20 percent of the patients, and microscopic lesions in 50 percent. In some clinical studies, up to 55 percent of the patients had echocardiographic abnormalities. All three cardiac wall layers may be involved. Cases of myopericardial Kaposi's sarcoma or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma have been described, together with infectious myocarditis or pericarditis, non-obstructive cardiomyopathy, aseptic fibrinous pericarditis, marantic endocarditis and other, less frequent lesions.