title: [The morphology and clinical significance of pathologic changes of the adrenals and hypophysis in AIDS].
abstract: A semiquantitative morphometric technique (point counting) was applied to the pituitary and adrenals taken at necropsy from 130 AIDS patients (4 women, 126 men, mean age 39 [22-71] years) to ascertain the nature, extent and location of the pathological lesions. Abnormalities were found in 32% of the pituitaries and 76% of the adrenals. Only 17 patients had normal findings in both organs. The predominant lesions were due to opportunistic infections or infiltration by Kaposi's sarcoma or non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The commonest finding was necrotizing cytomegalovirus adrenalitis (n = 68); in one third of the cases this had caused severe destructive lesions involving over 50% of the parenchyma. The almost total destruction of the adrenals noted in some cases suggests that cytomegalovirus adrenalitis may run a progressive course; its clinical significance has hitherto been underestimated.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Pathologie III, Universität Frankfurt/Main.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Groll
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Althoff
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Falkenbach
authors.forename: E B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Helm
authors.forename: H G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Keul
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schleiblinger
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hübner
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D000307:Adrenal Gland Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000473:pathology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006652:Histological Techniques; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009164:Mycobacterium Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D009336:Necrosis / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D009894:Opportunistic Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000473:pathology*; D014123:Toxoplasmosis / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology
vernacular_title: Morphologie und klinische Bedeutung pathologischer Veränderungen an Nebennieren und Hypophyse bei AIDS.