Acute rheumatic fever in human immunodeficiency virus infection.
A 25-year-old homosexual man with a childhood history of rheumatic heart disease presented with painful joints, fever and chest pain. He was diagnosed as having acute rheumatic fever and was found to be HIV antibody-positive. His illness responded to conventional treatment but he had a persistently low CD4 lymphocyte count and was started on zidovudine. Interpretation of the significance of a low CD4 lymphocyte count is problematic in a patient with coincident rheumatic fever and HIV infection as both conditions can cause CD4 lymphopenia.
Department of Genitourinary Medicine, Charing Cross Hospital, London, U.K.
K W
KW
Radcliffe
K A
KA
McLean
A G
AG
Benbow
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008231:Lymphopenia / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D012213:Rheumatic Fever / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*