Summary Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is an acute prothrombotic disorder. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is an identified precipitant. This study reviewed 30 episodes of HIV‐associated TTP in 24 patients from the South‐East England Apheresis units, over the last 10 years. All patients were heterosexual Black Africans. First presentation of TTP revealed a new diagnosis of HIV in eight patients. TTP relapse occurred on six occasions (in four patients) as a result of non‐adherence to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Prompt initiation/re‐initiation of HAART in parallel with plasma exchange (PEX) ± steroid led to prompt remission. Adjunct immunomodulatory agents (e.g. Rituximab) were required in 10% of cases. Once‐daily HAART regimens are recommended, being compatible with PEX requirement, maximizing drug exposure between PEX. High viral loads (>500 000 copies/ml) require more PEX to remission. ADAMTS13 activity was reduced (<5%) as detected by collagen‐binding assay and anti‐ADAMTS13 immunoglobulin G antibodies were raised in 80%. Continued HAART‐adherence ensured a durable TTP remission with associated viral control resulting in no evidence of relapse. PEX and HAART are associated with replenishment of ADAMTS13 and viral suppression. More PEX is required in cases with higher viral loads. Continued HAART maintains remission. In a small proportion of cases, further immunomodulatory therapy may be required.

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We measured plasma human herpesvirus 8 (HHV8) DNA load in consecutive patients presenting with HIV-associated multicentric Castleman disease (MCD) and in contemporaneous patients who had Kaposi sarcoma (KS), lymphoma or other diagnoses. All 11 patients with MCD had detectable plasma HHV8 DNA compared with 18 (72%) of 25 patients with KS, none with lymphoma and one of 38 patients with other diagnoses. Detectable plasma HHV8 DNA levels were higher among MCD patients, median (interquartile range [IQR]) = 43,500 (5200-150,000) copies/mL, when compared with those with KS, median (IQR) = 320 (167-822) copies/mL and those with lymphoma and other diagnoses (one-way analysis of variance; P = 0.0303). Using receiver operating characteristic analysis, a cut-off of >1000 copies HHV8 DNA/mL of plasma helped to discriminate between MCD and other diagnoses, with a specificity of 94.7% and a negative predictive value of 97.3%. The level of HHV8 viraemia, while not diagnostic, may aid discrimination between patients with MCD and those with KS and other systemic illnesses.

We reviewed our practice in order to determine the optimum neuroimaging strategy for HIV-infected patients with acute neurological presentations between April 2007 and August 2008. Overall magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) detected cranial abnormalities in more than twice as many patients as did computed tomography (CT) (74% and 32%, n = 54 and 38, respectively). Replacement of CT by first-line MRI for all patients would have required an additional 16 MRI scans, although at a saving of 38 CT scans. Our study highlights the importance of first-line MRI brain imaging in HIV patients with neurological symptoms and reinforces the need for early transfer of patients from centres that do not have rapid access to (or expert interpretation of) MRI scanning, to an appropriate HIV specialist centre.