Anorectal pathology in AIDS

Anorectal complaints are common in persons with AIDS and are being seen increasingly because advances in therapy for HIV, such as the new antiretroviral protease inhibitors, have resulted in longer life expectancy for those with HIV infection. In the past, many patients with HIV infection were seen at referral centers; now, however, primary care physicians as well as gastroenterologists and surgeons in the community are managing and caring for these patients. For this reason, it is important for clinicians to recognize the spectrum of anorectal disease in patients with AIDS, as well as its appropriate evaluation and management.