Abstract
Objectives: To compare the specificity of the World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) case definitions for AIDS in autopsy cases from Zaire. Setting: Mama Yemo Hospital and University Hospital morgues in Kinshasa, and Karawa Hospital in Equateur Region, Zaire. Methods: Autopsy cases with a clinical diagnosis of AIDS on the death certificate or chart were studied. Evaluation included post-mortem HIV-1 serology, chart review for specific AIDS-related symptoms and signs, and application of WHO and CDC case criteria to the clinical and autopsy diagnoses. Results: Of the 68 diagnosed AIDS cases, 98% fulfilled WHO criteria for AIDS and 93% fulfilled both WHO and CDC criteria. All cases fulfilling both criteria were HIV-1-seropositive. Opportunistic infections accounted for 84% of CDC AIDS-defining conditions. Disseminated tuberculosis was the most frequent (41%) specific diagnosis; Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia was rare (< 2%). Conclusions: There was good concordance between WHO and CDC case definitions. A diagnosis of AIDS on the chart or death certificate is adequate for surveillance purposes in this population.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 1241-1245 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | AIDS |
Volume | 7 |
Issue number | 9 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 1993 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- AIDS
- AIDS surveillance
- Africa
- Autopsy
- Clinical case definition
- Histopathology
- Zaire
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Immunology and Allergy
- Immunology
- Infectious Diseases