[GASTROINTESTINAL SYMPTOMS IN ACQUIRED IMMUNODEFICIENCY SYNDROME (AIDS): A REVIEW OF ONE HUNDRED CASES AT "ARZOBISPO LOAYZA" HOSPITAL]

In 1996, one hundred health histories of HIV serum positive patients were reviewed using the Elisa and Western Blot techniques at the Arzobispo Loayza National Hospital. Such cases were defined according to Case Definition 1987 CDC/WHO. 70% of HIV serum positive patients showed gastrointestinal symptoms according to the first medical examination. 57% of the patients were younger than 30 years old, most of them were men (men/ women ratio: 2.7/1). 59% of the patients were heterosexual, 26% bisexual, and 15% homosexual. Chronic diarrhea was the main symptom, characterized by watering depositions over 10c/d. Giardia lamblia was isolated in 32% of the cases, while Isospora Belli in 16% and Criptosporidium in 12.5%. The laboratory findings of 7 patients (12.5%) were negative. Patients showed more than 10% weight loss. 10% of the patients had an anorectal disease while 7 of the patients (10%) had an hepatic-billiary disease. The odynophagia and dysphagia were explained by oropharyngeal candidiasis. 2.8% of the patients had acalculous cholecystitis; 2.8% suffered from acute pancreatic disease and 1.4% ascitis. The hepatic biochemistry was affected by the serum albumin reduction, the transaminases increase over 2-3 times compared to normal levels and the alkaline phosphatase, bilirrubina was about 5 mg. The high endoscopic diagnostic was in connection to the candida esophagitis and inflammatory pathology. In proctoscopy, condyloma acuminatum and perianal fistula were the most usual findings. The counting of CD4 leukocytes in 20 patients showed a great reduction of CD4 lymphocytes, in values lesser than 200 cel/mm3. The relation CD4/CD8 goes from 0.01 to 0.91 rates.