Cardiac abnormalities in the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. A prospective study with a clinical-pathological correlation in twenty-one adult patients.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the cardiac abnormalities and their evolution during the course of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, as well as to correlate clinical and pathological data.


METHODS
Twenty-one patients, admitted to the hospital with the diagnosis of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, were prospectively studied and followed until their death. Age ranged from 19 to 42 years (17 males). ECG and echocardiogram were also obtained every six months. After death, macro- and microscopic examinations were also performed.


RESULTS
The most frequent causes of referral to the hospital were: diarrhea or repeated pneumonias, tuberculosis, toxoplasmosis or Kaposi sarcoma. The most frequent findings were acute or chronic pericarditis (42%) and dilated cardiomyopathy (19%). Four patients died of cardiac problems: infective endocarditis, pericarditis with pericardial effusion, bacterial myocarditis and infection by Toxoplasma gondii.


CONCLUSIONS
Severe cardiac abnormalities were the cause of death in some patients. In the majority of the patients, a good correlation existed between clinical and anatomical-pathological data. Cardiac evaluation was important to detect early manifestations and treat them accordingly, even in asymptomatic patients.
Herdy
G V
GV
Hospital Universitário Antonio Pedro, UFF, Niterói, RJ, Brazil.
Herdy
A H
AH
Almeida
P S
PS
de Carvalho
R
R
Azevedo
F B
FB
Azevedo
K
K
Vasconcelos
M C
MC
Paiva
R
R
Tchou
H Y
HY
Nascimento
P
P
Cosendey
R
R
Ferrari
A
A
Lopes
V S
VS
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D000328:Adult; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies