IMAGING THORACIC MANIFESTATIONS IN HIV INFECTED PATIENTS

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) was first recognized as a clinical entity in 1981. Since then, many changes have been noted in the demographics, complications, and treatment of this worldwide epidemic.  HIV infected patients suffer from a number of infectious and non-infectious complications through their life span due to their immune compromised state. Pulmonary disorders, particularly respiratory infections, remain an important cause of morbidity and mortality among HIV-infected individuals, even in the current era of potent antiretroviral therapy. Chest radiography is usually the first imaging test obtained for the assessment of an HIV-infected individual with respiratory symptoms followed by chest CT that is highly sensitive in detecting and characterizing various infectious and non-infectious conditions that afflict an HIV positive individual. The spectrum of imaging findings varies with the etiology and patient’s immune status. We studied the various thoracic manifestations in HIV-infected patients by chest radiography and CT with special emphasis on imaging pattern recognition in order to facilitate early diagnosis and treatment of these conditions.