OPPORTUNISTIC INFECTIONS IN PEDIATRIC HIV-INFECTION - A STUDY OF 74 AUTOPSY CASES FROM LATIN-AMERICA

The present report describes opportunistic infections found at 74 auto psies of pediatric HIV/AIDS patients performed at several hospitals in Latin American countries. Fungal infections were the most common (53 cases), Candida sp. (39.18%) and Pneumocystis carinii (20.27%) being t he most frequently recognized. Other fungal diseases included histopla smosis, aspergillosis, and cryptococcosis. Viral infections were prese nt in 31 cases, 38.7% being due to cytomegalovirus. Other viruses reco gnized included herpes simplex and adenovirus. Additional opportunisti c infections were due to Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare, toxoplasm osis, and tuberculosis. Nonspecific bacterial bronchopneumonia was pre sent in II cases. Cytomegalovirus and P. carinii coinfection was the m ost common association found. In this series patients died at a younge r age (72% at or younger than 2 year old) and there was a slightly hig her number of cases of histoplasmosis and brain toxoplasmosis than in other previously published series of infants and children.