MUSCULAR INVOLVEMENT IN HIV-INFECTION

Skeletal muscle involvement may occur at all stages of HIV-infection a nd represents the first manifestation of the disease in one patients. We usually classify muscle involvement in HIV-infected patients in one of the following categories: (1) HIV-associated myopathy, a myopathy that meets the criteria for polymyositis in a majority of patients, an d those for acquired nemaline myopathy in some; (2) zidonidine myopath y, a reversible mitochondrial myopathy; (3) the HIV-wasting syndrome a nd other AIDs-associated cachexias; (4) opportunistic infections and t umoral infiltrations of the skeletal muscle; (5) vasculitic processes and iron pigment deposits; (6) HIV-associated myasthenia grains and (7 ) rhabdomyolsis. Immunohistology for major histocompatibility complex class I antigen histochemical reaction for cytochrome C oxidase are he lpful in correct classification of a myopathy as HIV polymyositis or z idovudine myopathy.