Hand infections in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

Eight patients are reported with hand infections and a diagnosis of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) or AIDS-related complex (ARC). Seven patients had AIDS and one ARC. Four were homosexually active males, three were intravenous drug abusers, and one was the wife of a presumed drug abuser. The hand infections were not truly opportunistic; three patients had herpes, two had osteomyelitis, one had septic arthritis, and two had bacterial abscesses. The presentation or course of the infection was atypical in the majority of patients. The infections were seen early in the course of the disease and in one half of the patients preceded the diagnosis of AIDS. Unusual hand infections, then, may suggest the development of AIDS in a patient at risk.