Among 61 patients with AIDS seen in our hospital from February 1986 to June 1992, 38 (62%) had significant weight loss, 34 (56%) had fever of more than a month and 19 (31%) had chronic diarrhoea; 43 (70%) patients had at least one of the above symptoms. Tuberculosis diagnosed in 32 (52%) patients was the commonest secondary infection: 10 had only pulmonary, 15 had pulmonary and extrapulmonary and 7 only extrapulmonary tuberculosis. Secondary infections commonly found in the general population, predominantly with pathogenic bacteria were found in 27 (44%) patients, 45 (74%) patients had opportunistic infections such as oropharyngeal candidiasis 25 (41%) cryptococcal meningitis 4 (7%), recurrent zoster 1 (1.6%). Two (3.3%) patients had interstitial pneumonitis of unknown aetiology. One (1.6%) patient each had oral hairy leukoplakia or immunoblastic lymphoma. Kaposi's sarcoma was not seen in any patient. At the time of writing this, 33 (54%) patients have died; the mean duration from diagnosis of AIDS to death was 4.5 months.
PIP: Among the 61 AIDS patients seen at Christian Medical College and Hospital, Vellore, India, from February 1986 to June 1992, 38 (62%) had significant weight loss, 34 (56%) had fever of longer than 1 month, and 19 (31%) had chronic diarrhea. 43 (70%) patients had at least one of these latter symptoms. Tuberculosis (TB), diagnosed in 32 patients, was the most common secondary infection. Of the TB cases, 10 had only pulmonary TB, 15 had pulmonary and extrapulmonary TB, and 7 had only extrapulmonary TB. Secondary infections commonly found in the general population, mainly with pathogenic bacteria were found in 27 (44%) patients. 45 (74%) patients had opportunistic infections such as oropharyngeal candidiasis (25 patients), cryptococcal meningitis (4 patients), and recurrent zoster in 1 patient. 2 patients had interstitial pneumonitis of unknown etiology. 1 patient each had oral hairy leukoplakia or immunoblastic lymphoma. Kaposi's sarcoma was not observed. 33 (54%) patients have died, with the mean duration from AIDS diagnosis to death being 4.5 months.