Autopsy findings in AIDS--a histopathological analysis of fifty cases

Fifty consecutive AIDS autopsy cases were evaluated. All subjects showed one or more opportunistic infections and malignancies included in the AIDS case definition with cytomegalovirus and Kaposi's sarcoma being most prevalent. Mycobacterial and cryptococcal infections occurred only infrequently. Most patients of our series after successful treatment of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia or cerebral toxoplasmosis later succumbed to less treatable conditions like disseminated cytomegalovirus or fungal infections or malignant lymphoma. In the absence of specific treatment for the HIV infection leading to these lethal complications special emphasis must be put on the prevention of HIV transmission and spread.