The spectrum of osteoarticular and soft tissue changes in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.

In 1995, the World Health Organization reported that 18 million people worldwide have been infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), with projections that this number will increase to 30 to 40 million by the year 2000. Presently, in the U.S. over 1 million persons are infected. Approximately 40,000 people become newly infected each year in the U.S., a number equivalent to those who die from acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) yearly. AIDS is now the leading cause of death in young men aged 25 to 44, and the third leading cause of death in women aged 25 to 44. A shift in the demographic profile of those infected has been noted, with an increasing proportion of minorities, heterosexuals, and children affected. The pathogenesis of HIV infection occurs mainly through immunosuppression, which increases the host's susceptibility to numerous infections. The increased incidence of certain neoplasms in this population point to the ability of the virus either to interfere with the host's tumor surveillance ability or to interact with other agents in tumorigenesis. Certain rheumatic diseases, likely with autoimmune etiologies, are increasingly being associated with HIV. The musculoskeletal system is but one of the sites in which the radiologist must always maintain a high index of suspicion for HIV or AIDS-related disease. The spectrum of osteoarticular and soft tissue changes observed in this population is described.