The postmortem anatomopathological examination of eight heart-and-lung
specimens obtained from eight HIV-seropositive patients was performed
. Three patients were CDC stage II and five patients were CDC stage IV
. The mean age was 27 (range: 23-32). Distal and proximal vascular les
ions of the coronary arteries were observed. These impairments were ma
rked by major excentric atherosclerosis (with 80-90 % obstruction of t
he arterial lumen) or by fibrosis two-fold or six-fold the thickness o
f the tunica media. Sclero-hyalinosis of the smaller arteries and myoc
ardial interstitial fibrosis lesions was also revealed. In view of the
severity of the described lesions, the absence of any associated card
iovascular risk factors and the context of immunodepression, the role
of a virus in the genesis of these lesions is suggested, in particular
a virus of the herpes group.