Imaging of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)

Abstract

Imaging plays an important role in the detection and characterisation of opportunistic infections and malignancies in patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The imaging features of opportunistic infections are of ten non-specific, but when examined in the context of CD4 levels will of ten allow a correct diagnosis to be made. It is important to be aware of specific syndromes such as lymphoproliferative disease and AIDS nephropathy. The radiologist is of ten the first clinician to suspect the possibility of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or AIDS in a patient's diagnostic work-up and it is, therefore, important that radiologists are familiar with the imaging features of this disease and its complications.