[Pathology of the heart in AIDS. Study of 73 consecutive necropsies].
OBJECTIVE
To study the incidence and the etiology of the cardiac lesions in AIDS patients.


METHODS
The autopsy protocols and the filled slides of the heart from 73 consecutive AIDS patients were reviewed. There were, at least, 2 slides of each heart stained by haematoxylin-eosin; when indicated, Ziehl-Nielsen, Gram and Gomori Grocott stains were used.


RESULTS
No cause of death was assigned to the heart. There was involvement of the heart in 66 (90%) cases. Marked atrophy of cardiac fibers with or without lipomatosis was observed in 38 patients. Interstitial infiltrates of myocardium were present in 38 necropsies and in 13 of these cases a probable pathogen was demonstrated: cryptococcus neoforms in three cases and mycobacteria tuberculosis, atypical mycobacteria, toxoplasma' gondii, trypanosoma cruzi and cytomegalovirus in two cases each. Bacterial endocarditis was found in 4 autopsies and Kaposi sarcome in one. The pericardium was involved in 22 cases; in 12 there was only non specific mononuclear infiltration.


CONCLUSIONS
Autopsy examination of the heart from AIDS patients revealed frequent pathologic involvement.
Politi Okoshi
M
M
Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu-UNESP.
Rubens Montenegro
M
M
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000473:pathology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000503:physiopathology; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009894:Opportunistic Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies
Patologia do coração na AIDS. Estudo de 73 necropsias consecutivas.