[Short communication: retrospective analysis of 21 HIV/AIDS cases]

In this study, 21 HIV/AIDS cases (18 male, 3 female; age range 17-64 years), followed up in the Department of Infectious Diseases of Uludag University Medical Faculty between 1997-2003 have been analyzed retrospectively, by means of epidemiological, clinical and laboratory aspects. Nineteen (90%) of them were heterosexual, and in 9 cases the diagnosis was coincidental during the blood donations or routine testing. The non-compliance rate of patients to antiretroviral treatment was found as 76%, and the most important factor for non-compliance was the difficulty in providing antiretroviral drugs. The most frequently encountered opportunistic infections were oropharyngeal candidiasis (n:5), herpes zoster (n:4) and community acquired pneumonia (n:4).