Fever in patients with HIV infection in a teaching hospital in Iran

Background: Fever, is a common sign during the course of HIV infection. The aim of this study was to describe the etiology and clinical characteristics of fever among HIV/AIDS patients in a teaching hospital in Iran. Patients and methods: In this existing data study, we retrospectively reviewed the charts of admitted HIV/AIDS patients with fever to Imam Khomeini hospital, from October 1995 to March 2005 to assess the causes of their fever. Results: Totally, 125 admissions were performed for 120 patients. The mean (±SD) age was 34.8± 14.7 years. The final diagnosis of fever was determined in 65.6% of all admissions. Mostly (34.4%), the cause of fever remained undiagnosed. Pulmonary tuberculosis was the most commonly identified etiology of fever (33.6%), followed by opportunistic infections such as oral candidiasis, Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia and cerebral toxoplasmosis. Conclusion: Tuberculosis is the most common infection in Iranian HIV/AIDS patients and appropriate workup should be considered in all feverish HIV/AIDS patients.