Splenectomy in patients with AIDS and AIDS-related complex.
OBJECTIVE
To study the effect of splenectomy in HIV-infected patients.


METHODS
A retrospective chart review of patients admitted to St Vincent's Hospital who had splenectomies and were HIV-positive.


METHODS
All patients were treated at St Vincent's Hospital, New York City, New York, USA.


METHODS
Only patients who were HIV-positive and who had had a splenectomy at St Vincent's Hospital were included.


METHODS
All patients had a splenectomy.


METHODS
The effect of the splenectomy in these HIV-positive patients was studied with respect to their operative morbidity and mortality, platelet counts, overall survival and the development of new opportunistic infections.


RESULTS
All patients who did not have AIDS but did have thrombocytopenia responded to splenectomy in terms of their thrombocytopenia. None of them had an accelerated progression to AIDS. Most patients with AIDS and thrombocytopenia responded to splenectomy in terms of correcting their thrombocytopenia.


CONCLUSIONS
Splenectomy as a treatment for thrombocytopenia is successful not only in HIV-positive patients without AIDS, but also in AIDS patients. However, in patients with disseminated Kaposi's sarcoma or Mycobacterium avium intracellulare, splenectomy may not be a factor for survival.
Department of Surgery, St Vincent's Hospital and Medical Center, New York City, New York.
M M
MM
Kemeny
V
V
Cooke
T S
TS
Melester
I C
IC
Halperin
A R
AR
Burchell
J P
JP
Yee
C B
CB
Mills
D000386:AIDS-Related Complex / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010976:Platelet Count; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013156:Splenectomy; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy