Bone marrow of 61 HIV-1-infected patients and 23 control patients was examined to determine the incidence of B19 infection and its clinical impact in HIV-1-infected persons. Of the 61 HIV-infected patients studied, ages ranged from 22-47 years with a mean of 33.2 years. There was a man:woman ratio of 3.8:1. With regard to staging of HIV disease at the time of bone marrow sampling, 52 patients were CDC group 4, 5 patients were CDC group 3, and 4 patients were CDC group 2. Control patients, were not known to be HIV-1-infected, and had one of the following conditions: lymphoma, leukaemia, thrombocytopenia, thrombocytosis, anaemia, multiple myeloma, raised serum IgM. Thirteen of 61 HIV-infected patients and 0 of 23 control patients were positive for B19 DNA in bone marrow (two-tailed P value = 0.016). Within the HIV-infected group, the average haemoglobin among persons testing B19 DNA positive (n = 13) was 11.1 g/dl, compared with 11.5 g/dl among persons testing B19 DNA negative (n = 48). In conclusion, B19 persistence may be common and frequently subclinical in AIDS patients.
In all patients with new-onset dementia or untreatable psychosis, neurosyphilis should always be considered. Argyll Robertson pupils are regarded as pathognomonic of neurosyphilis. The management of neurosyphilis includes high-dose IV benzyl penicillin for 10 to 14 days. Close follow-up including a lumbar puncture after 6 months is warranted to ensure treatment recovery.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.