Human immunodeficiency virus infection: musculoskeletal manifestations

Abstract

The authors retrospectively reviewed the charts, radiographs, and other accompanying imaging studies of 45 patients with musculoskeletal abnormalities associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. These included 19 patients with osseous infection, including eight with osteomyelitis, seven with bacillary angiomatosis (six of whom were described in a previous report), and four with septic arthritis; 10 with bacterial myositis (six of whom were described in a previous report); seven with non-Hodgkin lymphoma; five with hypointense marrow signal intensity at magnetic resonance imaging; two with Kaposi sarcoma; one with polymyositis; and one with psoriasis. The musculoskeletal system can be affected by a variety of abnormalities in association with HIV infection. Knowledge of their existence and characteristic appearance is valuable to radiologists for diagnosis and to clinicians for detection and appropriate treatment.