Is there a need for liver disease monitoring in HIV patients in Africa?

Liver disease is one of the leading causes of death in HIV-infected individuals from Europe and North America and has been attributed mainly to coinfection with hepatotropic viruses. Little data, however, has so far become available on liver disease in HIV-infected individuals from Africa. Results from a first study on liver disease staging by Fibroscan(®) in a large group of HIV-infected patients from rural Uganda suggest unexpectedly high rates of advanced fibrosis. These results were independent from hepatitis status, initiating a discussion on the need for future liver disease monitoring in these particular patient groups.