title: [Acute symptomatic HIV infection. Report of 10 cases].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The diagnosis of acute HIV infection must rely in the demonstration of a significant increase in antibody titers against HIV together with the timely development of clinical symptoms. The percentage of cases with symptomatic acute HIV infection is currently unknown.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a retrospective review of all patients admitted to Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases department of a General Hospital in a three-year period. The presence of HIV-antibodies was assessed by means of ELISA, indirect immunofluorescent test and Western blot technique.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among a total number of 1110 patients, we found 10 (0.9%) that were considered as having an acute symptomatic HIV infection. Clinical presentation was as follows: mononucleosis-like syndrome, 7 patients; aseptic meningitis, 1 patient; polirradiculoneurophaty and coreoatetosis, 1 patient and esophageal candidiasis, 1 patient. Transmission of infection was heterosexual contact in 60% of cases. Four patients developed a transient skin rash, four had oral candidiasis and low platelet count was detected in 6 cases. The presence of circulating HIV antigen could be demonstrated in 7 patients, and the change in antibody titer was recorded with an 11 +/- 2 weeks span.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The incidence of symptomatic HIV acute infection was only 0.9% in our study. The high number of patients with heterosexual transmission and low platelet counts in our series is remarkable.
authors.affiliation: Secciones de Medicina Interna, Hospital Civil de Bilbao.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Martínez
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Muñoz
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Santamaría
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Teira
authors.forename: S G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Etxabarri
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Miguel
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cisterna
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies
vernacular_title: Infección aguda sintomática por el VIH. A propósito de 10 casos.