Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

n.

AIDS.

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Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)

A group of diseases resulting from infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). A person infected with HIV gradually loses immune function, becoming less able to resist aliments and cancers, resulting in eventual death.

Mentioned in: Autopsy

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acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS),

n a disease caused by a retrovirus known as human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). A related but distinct retrovirus (HIV-2) has recently appeared in a limited number of patients in the United States. Patients are considered to have AIDS when one or more indicator diseases, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are present. See also human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The CDC has classified stages of the disease as follows:

Group I: acute HIV infection,

n a group who within one month of exposure develops the first clinical evidence of HIV infection, which may appear as an acute retroviral syndrome. This is a mononucleosis-like syndrome with symptoms including fever, rash, diarrhea, lymphadenopathy, myalgia, arthralgia, and fatigue. Development of antibodies usually follows.

Group II: asymptomatic HIV infection,

n a group in which most persons develop antibodies to the HIV within 6 to 12 weeks after exposure. Although individuals may remain asymptomatic for months or years, they can transmit the virus.

Group III: persistent generalized lymphadenopathy (PGL),

n a group who develops persistent generalized lymphadenopathy that lasts longer than 3 months. See also lymphadenopathy, persistent generalized.

Group IV: HIV-associated diseases,

n a group who is clinically variable and has signs and symptoms of HIV infection other than or in addition to lymphadenopathy. Based on clinical findings, patients in Group IV may be assigned to one or more of the following subgroups: (A) constitutional disease, also known as wasting syndrome. This subgroup is characterized by fever that lasts more than one month, involuntary weight loss of greater than 10% for baseline, or diarrhea persisting for more than one month, (B) neurological disease, (C) secondary infectious disease, (D) secondary cancers, and (E) other conditions resulting from HIV infections.