Churg-Strauss syndrome associated with HIV infection

A 28-year-old woman with a history of asthma and recent deep venous thrombosis presented with fever, chest pain, and peripheral eosinophilia. The patient was subsequently diagnosed with Churg-Strauss syndrome and HIV infection, representing to our knowledge only the second case of this association. Rheumatologic manifestations of HIV may precede clinical signs of infection. This is significant because steroidal and cytotoxic therapy may potentially worsen HIV infection. As the prevalence of HIV infection rises, there may be atypical presentations of various rheumatologic syndromes. The following case demonstrates a patient whose initial presentation for HIV infection was Churg-Strauss syndrome.