[The autopsy findings in 51 cases of AIDS with cardiovascular damage]

We describe the cardiovascular abnormalities found at autopsy in patients with AIDS and a description of the opportunistic infections in these cases studied between January 1988 and August 1993. There were 51 cases with such diagnosis. Pericardial effusion appeared in 9, pleural effusion in 7, myocarditis in 5, 7 with pericarditis, endocarditis in 6, left ventricular hypertrophy in 20, right ventricular hypertrophy in 21 and evidence of atherosclerosis in 15. Thus, data of cardiovascular damage was present in 42.7% of our patients. The cardiovascular abnormalities in this group are common, in contrast to the paucity of clinical findings. Diagnosis of cardiac pathology was made in only 12% of them. So in every case with diagnosis of AIDS, a careful clinical examination and cardiac diagnostic oriented tests must be done for detection of these abnormalities.