Case report of HIV associated arthritis

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is prevalent worldwide. Children living with HIV/AIDS form a vulnerable subsection and may frequently present with clinical symptoms in the first year of life itself. Besides its well-known signs and symptoms, HIV infection can have a wide spectrum of musculoskeletal manifestations. We report a case of a child with HIV infection with arthritis as a predominant presentation. The patient was anemic (Hb: 2.6 g/dl) and had features suggestive of inflammation, that is, highly elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) (161 mg/l), and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) (46 mm/h) values, accompanied with leukocytosis (12,100 cells/cu mm) and thrombocytoses (524,000 cells/ku mm). Urine culture showed Enterococcus spp. sensitive to linezolid and nitrofurantoin. A bone marrow aspiration and biopsy was done including culture for bacterial, mycobacterium and fungus. Treatment of arthritis in HIV-infected children can be challenging. It is crucial to recognize the arthritic manifestation of HIV infection in order to avoid delaying diagnosis and starting proper treatment.