       Document 0735
 DOCN  M9620735
 TI    Pericardial effusion in AIDS. Incidence and survival.
 DT    9602
 AU    Heidenreich PA; Eisenberg MJ; Kee LL; Somelofski CA; Hollander H;
       Schiller NB; Cheitlin MD; Division of Cardiology, University of
       California, San Francisco,; USA.
 SO    Circulation. 1995 Dec 1;92(11):3229-34. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE
       MED/96080076
 AB    BACKGROUND: Although pericardial effusion is known to be common among
       patients infected with HIV, the incidence of pericardial effusion and
       its relation to survival have never been described. METHODS AND RESULTS:
       To evaluate the incidence of pericardial effusion and its relation to
       mortality in HIV-positive subjects, 601 echocardiograms were performed
       on 231 subjects recruited over a 5-year period (inception cohort: 59
       subjects with asymptomatic HIV, 62 subjects with AIDS-related complex,
       and 74 subjects with AIDS; 21 HIV-negative healthy gay men; and 15
       subjects with non-HIV end-stage medical illness). Echocardiograms were
       performed every 3 to 6 months (82% had follow-up studies). Sixteen
       subjects were diagnosed with effusions (prevalence of effusion for AIDS
       subjects entering the study was 5%). Thirteen subjects developed
       effusions during follow-up; 12 of these were subjects with AIDS
       (incidence, 11%/y). The majority of effusions (80%) were small and
       asymptomatic. The survival of AIDS subjects with effusions was
       significantly shorter (36% at 6 months) than survival for AIDS subjects
       without effusions (93% at 6 months). This shortened survival remained
       significant (relative risk, 2.2, P = .01) after adjustment for lead time
       bias and was independent of CD4 count and albumin level. CONCLUSIONS:
       There is a high incidence of pericardial effusion in patients with AIDS,
       and the presence of an effusion is associated with shortened survival.
       The development of an effusion in the setting of HIV infection suggests
       end-stage HIV disease (AIDS).
 DE    Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/*COMPLICATIONS/MORTALITY  Adult
       AIDS-Related Complex/*COMPLICATIONS/MORTALITY  Case-Control Studies
       Cohort Studies  Comparative Study  Echocardiography  Human  HIV
       Seronegativity  Incidence  Male  Middle Age  Pericardial
       Effusion/EPIDEMIOLOGY/*ETIOLOGY/ULTRASONOGRAPHY  Prevalence  Prospective
       Studies  Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.  Survival Analysis  Time Factors
       JOURNAL ARTICLE

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).

