Radiology, Vol 192, 691-695, Copyright © 1994 by Radiological Society of North America
Abdominal abnormalities in AIDS: detection at US in a large population
FJ Smith, JR Mathieson and PL Cooperberg
Department of Radiology, University of British Columbia, St Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, Canada.
PURPOSE: The authors studied the prevalence of abnormalities at abdominal
ultrasonography (US) in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
(AIDS), the temporal change in prevalence, and the use of US to correlate
clinical indications with these abnormalities. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From
1983 to 1991, 899 AIDS patients were seen, representing 89.36% of the 1,006
AIDS patients in the province during that time. Of these, 414 underwent 684
US studies, 399 of which were able to be reviewed. RESULTS: US results
showed abnormalities in 264 of the 399 studies, including splenomegaly (n =
124), lymphadenopathy (n = 83]), gallbladder and bile duct abnormalities (n
= 80), hepatomegaly (n = 77), and ascites (n = 54). Clinical indications
with the highest frequency of abnormal findings included hepatosplenomegaly
(n = 337) and abnormal liver function tests (n = 270). Lymph nodes more
than 3 cm in diameter (in 10 of 83 patients with enlarged nodes) always
represented an abnormality other than reactive hyperplasia. The percentage
of abnormal results went from 25% in 1984 (two of nine studies) to 81% in
1990 (77 of 95 studies). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of abdominal
abnormalities depicted at US in AIDS patients has increased since 1983.
