[Endoscopic gastrointestinal findings in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection]

From January 1992 to August 1993, 150 endoscopies (114 fiber gastroscopies, 29 fiber colonoscopies and 7 CPRE) were carried out in a total of 142 anti HIV positive patients. The most frequent clinical manifestations leading to the exploration were dysphagia, epigastric pain, diarrhea and upper or lower gastrointestinal bleeding. Endoscopic alterations were observed in most of the exploration although specific diagnosis was only achieved in approximately one third of the patients with the most frequent being esophagitis by Candida and CMV (21% and 5%, respectively in the fiber gastroscopies performed). Digestive manifestations were varied in the patients in whom esophagitis by Candida was diagnosed while dysphagia and diarrhea were the symptoms commonly observed in the patients with esophagitis or colitis by CMV. The diagnostic profitability of endoscopy was high in patients presenting dysphagia, diarrhea, gastrointestinal bleeding or in those in whom endoscopy was performed for tumoral staging or to evaluate the possible existence of manifestations secondary to the presence of portal hypertension.