CHANGES IN THE NATURAL-HISTORY OF AIDS IN PATIENTS LIVING IN THE ISLANDS OF MALLORCA AND IBIZA (SPAIN) - 1986-1992

BACKGROUND: Longitudinal follow up studies in patients with human immu nodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and AIDS, which are fundamental for the knowledge df variations the natural history of this disease, have generally been carried out by Public Health Departments and in popula tions in which homosexual males predominate, The aim of the present st udy was to analyze the changes in the natural history of the patients diagnosed with AIDS in the islands of Mallorca and Ibiza. METHODS:A pr ospective study of the adult patients diagnosed with AIDS in Mallorca and Ibiza, from 1986 to 1992 was performed, RESULTS: The annual incide nce of the cases of AIDS increased throughout the study, The mean age of the patients did not vary, and neither did that In relation to sexe s. A progressive decrease was observed in CD4 lymphocytes at the time of diagnosis (from 0.168 x 10(9)/I in 1986 to 0.079 x 10(9)/I in 1992) . There was an increase in heterosexual transmission patients with no known risk factors also increased over the period studied. The inciden ce of extrapulmonary tuberculosis decreased both as the form of presen tation and in its global frequency. Pneumonia by Pneumocystis carinii increased mainly as a initial feature. The median survival was 547 day s and did not vary significantly throughout the study. CONCLUSIONS: Th e epidemiologic and clinical study of AIDS in Mallorca and Ibiza, Spai n is similar to that observed in other Mediterranean regions. The inci dence of extrapulmonary tuberculosis has decreased.