Introduction. Gastrointestinal complications are common manifestations of
acquired immune deficiency syndrome. The aim of this study was to establish
the type and frequency of esophageal disease, the influence of antiretroviral
therapy on it and the most adequate approach to this group of patients.
Material and methods. This study included 146 patients with acquired immune
deficiency syndrome treated at the Institute of Infectious and Tropical
Diseases of Clinical Centre in Serbia from 1991-2001. The statistical data
processing was done by the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences for
Windows version 10.0. The level of statistical significance was defined to be
p?0.05 and p?0.01. The diagnosis was made upon endoscopic exams,
pathohistological findings and isolation of causative agents. Results.
Esophagitis was found in 78 (53.41%) patients. These patients complained
mostly of odynophagia and dysphagia. The most common was Candida esophagitis.
It was diagnosed in 59 (40.41%) patients; 5 patients (3.42%) had
cytomegalovirus esophagitis; 2 patients (1.37%) had herpes simplex virus
esophagitis, and one-patient (0.68%) had a mixed Candida and herpes simplex
virus infection of esophagus. Idiopathic esophageal ulcer was diagnosed in
one (0.68%) patient. Conclusion. Seventy-eight (53.41%) patients with
acquired immune deficiency syndrome had esophagitis. Candida (40.41%) was the
most common cause of esophagitis. Viral esophagitis was less common:
cytomegalovirus in 5 patients (3.42%); herpes simplex virus in 2 patients
(1.37%), and idiopathic esopghageal ulcer in 1 patient (0.68%)). These
patients complained mostly of odynophagia and dysphagia. Modern
antiretroviral therapy reduces the frequency of esophagitis and therefore
changes symptomatology in patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome.
Antiretroviral therapy is not associated with reduced herpes simplex virus shedding in HIV coinfected adults: an observational cohort study
