UNUSUAL MANIFESTATIONS OF AIDS IN CHILDRE N

The spectrum of Aids manifestations in children markedly differs from that of adult patients with Aids. As seen in three children with unusu al pediatric Aids: an 8-year-old girl with abdominal non-Hodgkin-lymph oma, a 5-year-old boy with progressive multifocal leukencephalopathy ( PML), and a 13-year-old boy with cryptococcal meningitis. Lymphoma has only been reported in 1.4%, PML in 0.9% and cryptococcal meningitis i n 0.1% of European Aids cases in children, compared to 5-10% for non-H odgkin-lymphoma, 7% for PML and 7% for cryptococcal meningitis in adul t Aids, respectively. We suggest that although unusual these manifesta tions should be considered in the differential diagnosis of HIV-infect ed symptomatic children. Compared to recent years the development of t hese rare manifestations might now be observed more often in children as a result of longer survival due to the introduction of antiretrovir al therapy.