[Digestive manifestations in acquired immunodeficiency disease]

Digestive manifestations of AIDS were studied retrospectively in 87 patients with respect to clinical, microbiological, endoscopic and histological data. Chronic or intermittent diarrhea was observed in 62 p. 100 of patients and frequently associated with major weight loss. The digestive opportunistic infections were: oesophageal candidiasis (42 p. 100), cryptosporidiosis (24 p. 100), cytomegalovirus infections (22 p. 100), isosporiasis (3.4 p. 100), atypical mycobacteriosis (2.2 p. 100), toxoplasmosis (2.2 p. 100). Thirty non-opportunistic agents were detected in 26 patients. Gastrointestinal Kaposi sarcoma occurred in 18 p. 100 of cases. The etiology of diarrhea remained unknown in 16 p. 100 of patients. The value of endoscopy is discussed: esophagogastroduodenal fibroscopy, is usually required to assess oesophageal candidiasis, colonoscopy is required to assess cytomegalovirus colitis on histological data.