A retrospective case note review of 100 AIDS patients attending a large Indian centre was performed. Of these 100 patients, 94% gave a history of heterosexual HIV transmission, 68% were male. The majority of females were aged 21 to 30 years. The most common mode of presentation was tuberculosis (61%), both pulmonary (46%) and extrapulmonary (15%). Oral candidiasis extending on to the oesophagus was the second most predominant opportunistic infection. This study also highlights the difficulty in detecting AIDS cases in India owing to difficulties in taking a sexual history and lack of laboratory facilities.
PIP: In India, physicians examined and screened 100 AIDS patients aged 12-55 admitted to Government General Hospital in Madras for opportunistic infections as part of a study to document the characteristics of AIDS patients in Tamil Nadu State. 58% were 21-30 years old. The male/female ratio was 2:1. 94% had acquired HIV via heterosexual intercourse. 81% of all patients had multiple sex partners and unprotected penetrative sex. Around 66% had more than one opportunistic infection. The most common opportunistic infection was tuberculosis (61%), especially pulmonary tuberculosis (46%), followed by oral candidiasis (41%), cryptosporidial diarrhea (16%), and fungal infection of the skin (16%). The tuberculosis in most AIDS patients was reactivation of previously acquired tuberculosis. All tuberculosis patients responded well to standard treatment. The most common organism causing opportunistic infections was Staphylococcus pyogenes. Obstacles to acquiring more information about characteristics of these AIDS patients included the taboo of talking about sex and limited laboratory facilities. Clinicians should consider HIV in the differential diagnosis and management of all persons with tuberculosis.