Gastrectomy for a patient with early gastric cancer and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection

Abstract

Gastric cancer associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is rare, and mostly results in a poor outcome. We report a patient with HIV infection and early gastric cancer successufully treated by gastrectomy. A 49-year-old man with a 6-year history of HIV infection underwent gastric fiberscopy, and a IIc-type depressed lesion was detected in the gastric antrum. With a diagnosis of early gastric cancer, we abided strictly by standard precautions for patients with HIV infection and carried out Billroth I gastrectomy. Histologic examination revealed that the lesion (which measured 0.9 × 0.4cm in size), was well differentiated tubular adenocarcinoma confined to the mucosa. A review of the literature disclosed that this is the first reported case of early gastric cancer associated with HIV infection.