Paediatric acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (PAIDS) in Trinidad and Tobago

The first twenty-one cases of Paediatric Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (PAIDS) in Trinidad and Tobago were studied. An overwhelming majority of patients were of African descent. Most of the children presented within the first year of life, the average time between presentation and death was 4 1/2 months, and the majority presented with either diarrhoea or pneumonia or failure to thrive, common conditions in the West Indies. Fever lasting longer than two weeks as well as hepatomegaly were clues which led to a definitive diagnosis.