VERY LATE PRESENTATION OF VERTICALLY TRANSMITTED HIV-1 INFECTION

We describe a 13-year-old boy with a very late presentation of vertica lly transmitted HIV-1 infection. The mother, an intravenous drug user before pregnancy, was diagnosed with AIDS in 1987 when the boy was 6 y ears old. HIV infection in her son was never suspected or investigated . No other risk factors for this infection can be attributed to the bo y. On diagnosis of the infection the boy had moderately severe respira tory symptoms, as classified in category B2 of the 1994 paediatric HIV infection definition, and virological replicative kinetics and the ph enotype have been determined. Standard AZT therapy has improved the cl inical symptoms, with negativization of plasma p24 Ag and HIV RNA. Cli nicians should be aware of this form of presentation of HIV-1 infectio n to avoid further delay of proper therapy.