Philip C. Hopewell

Lung disease, specifically Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP), was the first recognized mode of expression of infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Since the original clusters of cases of PCP were reported in 1981, the respiratory system has continued to be a common site of involvement in persons infected with HIV. Although pulmonary disorders are more frequent among persons who have advanced immunosuppression, meeting the current surveillance definitions for the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), lung diseases also occur with an increased frequency in individuals with HIV infection who have lesser degrees of immunosuppression. This section describes the relative frequency and spectrum of lung diseases that occur among persons infected with HIV and focuses on the approach to evaluating symptoms that originate from the respiratory tract in this unique group of patients.