title: [Echocardiographic evaluation of HIV-positive subjects].
abstract: The purpose of the study was to assess the prevalence and the type of cardiac abnormalities in patients with HIV infection. Echocardiographic examination (M-mode, two-dimensional and Doppler) was performed in 51 patients (40 male, 11 female), whose mean age was 29 +/- 10 years; 48 of them (94%) were intravenous drug addicts, 3 (6%) homosexuals. Diagnosis was AIDS in 19 (37%) patients, AIDS related complex in 19 (37%) and asymptomatic infection in 13 (26%). Echocardiography was normal in 13 subjects. Pericardial effusion was found in 19 patients (in 8 of them, this was the only cardiac abnormality). Valve vegetations were found in 16 patients (3 of them had pericardial effusion, 5 had ventricular dilatation or wall motion abnormalities, 1 had both pericardial and myocardial impairment). Myocardial dysfunction was found in 18 patients: 11 had left ventricular dilatation (5 with wall hypokinesia), 1 had right ventricular enlargement, 1 had biventricular dilatation and 5 had only wall motion abnormalities (diffuse or localized). During the follow-up 9 patients died: 8 had AIDS, 1 was asymptomatic. Eight subjects died during hospitalization (none because of cardiac causes) and one at home for sudden unexplained death. Echocardiography had displayed myocardial dysfunction in 6 of them, thickened pericardium in 1 and was normal in 2. Pathologic examination (performed in 8 subjects) showed cardiac enlargement in 3 subjects, thickened pericardium in 2 and valve vegetation in 1. One subject had histopathologic diagnosis of myocarditis and 7 had non specific histologic abnormalities. The study shows a cardiac involvement in 75% of HIV infected patients: 35% had myocardial dysfunction, 37% pericardial disease, 31% infective endocarditis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Servizio di Poligrafia, Ospedale San Camillo, Roma.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Minardi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Di Segni
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Boccardi
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pucci
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Giovannini
mesh_terms: D000386:AIDS-Related Complex / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D000328:Adult; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000150:complications*; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D013997:Time Factors
vernacular_title: Valutazione ecocardiografica in soggetti HIV positivi.