Acquired immune deficiency syndrome

The first Australian case of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), which occurred in a 27-year-old homosexual man, is reported. The patient, an American citizen now resident in Sydney, presented with life-threatening pulmonary consolidation. AIDS is characterized by severe defects in cell-mediated immunity associated with infections and neoplasms (most commonly Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia and Kaposi's sarcoma). The cause of the syndrome is unknown, but it may be a new infectious agent.