title: Symptomatic primary infection due to human immunodeficiency virus type 1: review of 31 cases.
abstract: In this series of 31 patients with acute infection due to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1, the male-to-female ratio was 3.4:1 and the mean age was 31.3 years. Sexual transmission accounted for 83.9% of cases; 45.2% of the patients were homosexual and 38.7% were heterosexual. The mean duration of symptoms and signs was 21 days (range, 5-60 days). Fever (87.1%) and skin rash (67.7%) were most commonly reported. Physical examination findings were abnormal for 96% of the patients; the oral cavity (76.7%) and the skin (73.3%) were the most frequently involved sites. Thirteen of 25 patients with sexually acquired infection had genital or oral ulcers, whereas five intravenous drug users had none (P = .052). Thrombocytopenia was the most common hematologic abnormality and was detected in 17 of 23 patients tested. P24 antigenemia, an initially negative screening test for HIV antibody, and a low CD4+ lymphocyte count were noted in 23 of 29, 23 of 30, and 14 of 21 tested patients, respectively.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University Cantonal Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kinloch-de Loës
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: de Saussure
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Saurat
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Stalder
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hirschel
authors.forename: L H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Perrin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005835:Genitalia / Q000473:pathology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D015497:HIV-1; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009055:Mouth / Q000473:pathology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology