[Gastrointestinal manifestations of AIDS]

Abstract

We studied 26 cases of digestive manifestation in AIDS. The 26 patients were divided into two different epidemiological groups: 13 homosexual men, constituted the first group; no homosexual patient was in the second group which included 6 haitians, 6 africans and a pakistanian. The clinical manifestation were: a watery chronical diarrhea in 17 cases a bloody diarrhea in 2 cases; a loss of weight in the 26 cases; a dysphagia in five cases; a jaundice in one patient (due to Kaposi sarcoma of the ampulla of Vater). The digestive lesions found, alone or associated, were necrotizing enteritis (2), ulcerative colitis (1), pseudomembranous colitis (1), candida oesophagitis (10), erythematous duodenitis (6), proctitis (4), Kaposi sarcoma (3) diffuse (2) or localized (1). 13 patients out of the 26 presented opportunistic digestive infections due to one or several germs. The were 10 cases of oesophageal infection (due to (Candida albicans) and 8 cases of enterocolic infection due to Cytomegalovirus (3 cases), Cryptosporidium (3 cases), Mycobacterium avium intracellulare (1 case), Cryptococcus neoformans (1 case). The other digestive infections cases were due to non opportunistic pathogens: Entamoeba histolytica (3 cases); Giardia lamblia (3 cases); Strongyloides stercoralis (2 cases); Salmonella typhi (2 cases); Shigella (1 case). Neither the nature nor the frequency of the digestive infections was different from the first epidemiological group to the second one.