Pancreatic involvement in human immunodeficiency virus infection.

Involvement of the pancreas by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection has not been adequately addressed and is the object of this review. I analyzed the English language literature, including single case reports of pancreatic involvement and larger series reporting detailed pathological findings of patients with HIV infection. Nonspecific pathological changes in the pancreas are frequently seen at autopsy of HIV-infected patients, but are not more common than in controls. Several types of infections (mainly cytomegalovirus, Cryptococcus neoformans, and Mycobacteria) and neoplasms (lymphoma and Kaposi's sarcoma) can involve the pancreas because they are usually disseminated. Although the serum amylase may be elevated, the patient remains asymptomatic. Occasional instances of severe and even fatal pancreatitis have been reported with HIV infections and attendant drug toxicity. Pentamidine has a predictable incidence of hypoglycemic episodes and 2',3'-dideoxyinosine provokes pancreatitis in a minority of treated patients. Such drug toxicity seems to deserve greater clinical concern than opportunistic infections or neoplasms.