Biopsy pathology of the gastrointestinal tract in human immunodeficiency virus-associated disease: a 5 year experience in Zürich

Abstract

Patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated disease are subject to a wide variety of unusual opportunistic infections and to the development of malignant tumours. These complications frequently manifest themselves within the gastrointestinal tract and endoscopic biopsies may contribute to their diagnosis. The results of 63 such biopsies from 28 patients are reviewed in this study. The diagnoses made included: upper gastrointestinal tract candidiasis (n = 6); cytomegalovirus infection of large intestine (n = 2); cryptosporidiosis (n = 1); spirochaetosis (n = 2); Kaposi's sarcoma (n = 4); malignant lymphoma (n = 3); and anal carcinoma (n = 2). Many of the specimens also showed inflammatory changes with no demonstrable aetiological agent. No specific pattern could be recognized for HIV infection per se.