Mycobacterium kansasii: a cause of treatable pulmonary disease associated with advanced human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection

Article Abstract:

Patients with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the organism that causes AIDS, are very prone to infections, both common and uncommon. AIDS patients not infrequently develop tuberculosis caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Other mycobacteria that have been found in AIDS patients are referred to as atypical mycobacteria. These include M. avium, which causes widespread and generally incurable disease, and M. kansasii, which typically produces lung disease similar to tuberculosis, with fever, cough, and abnormal chest X-rays. M. kansasii generally responds to the standard drugs for tuberculosis in HIV-negative patients who develop M. kansasii infection. A group of 19 patients infected with HIV who were diagnosed with M. kansasii were studied to determine the effectiveness of treatment. In this retrospective study, 10 patients were treated with standard anti-tuberculous therapy, and 9 received no treatment (because the utility of treatment in M. kansasii in AIDS patients was unknown or because the organism was not properly identified at first). Within four weeks, the fevers and coughs had abated in the treated patients, and their chest X-rays were showing improvement. Cultures of these patients' phlegm were all negative for M. kansasii when they were obtained two to nine months after starting therapy. Thus, unlike patients who develop M. avium infection, AIDS patients who are diagnosed with M. kansasii infection can be successfully treated with standard anti-tuberculous therapy. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Care and treatment, Mycobacterial infections, Mycobacterium infections, Pulmonary manifestations of general diseases, Respiratory symptoms

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Esophageal ulceration in human immunodeficiency virus infection: causes, response to therapy, and long-term outcome

Article Abstract:

Identifying a specific cause of esophageal ulcerations in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection may be beneficial to these patients' short-term quality of life. Esophageal ulcerations are breaks in the lining of the throat and are common in patients with HIV infection. There are a variety of causes for these ulcerations and each requires a specific treatment. Researchers examined and treated 100 HIV patients with esophageal ulcerations. They identified a specific cause for the ulceration in each patient and treated it with the medication specific to that type of ulceration. The most common cause of ulceration was cytomegalovirus. Ninety-eight percent of the patients responded favorably to their tailored treatments. Despite this high response to therapy, patients survived an average of only 8.9 months.

Ulcers, Esophagus

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Anal cancer precursors in persons with HIV infection

Article Abstract:

Some HIV-infected men may develop anal infection caused by papillomavirus and even a precursor of anal cancer even though they are not gay and have never had anal intercourse with another man. This was the conclusion of a study of 67 gay men and 50 injection drug addicts. This study shows that a low CD4 T cell count alone is a risk factor for anal papillomavirus infection and anal cancer.

Risk factors, Papillomavirus infections, Anal cancer

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