Upper airway obstruction due to tonsillar lymphadenopathy in human immunodeficiency virus infection

Head and neck manifestations of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection are common and include diffuse cervical lymphadenopathy, cutaneous and mucosal Kaposi's sarcoma, mucosal herpes simplex infection, upper aerodigestivetractcandidiasis, and parotidlymphadenopathy and cysts. Recurrent otitis media and chronic sinusitis have been noted in the pediatric HIV population. We describe a patient with HIV-associated tonsillar and adenoid lymphadenopathy and upper airway obstruction. Pathologic analysis of the tonsillar tissue revealed severe lymphofollicular hyperplasia similar to that of other lymphoid tissue in HIV infection. The importance of symptomatic treatment of the airway obstruction is stressed.