Patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are subject to infections and neoplasms, which frequently result in palpable or radiologically identified masses. Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) offers a rapid, simple, and cost effective approach for diagnosis of these masses. During a 2-yr period, 396 aspirates were performed on 362 HIV-infected patients within the LAC-USC Medical Center. Adequate material was obtained from 84% of the FNA, allowing the etiology of the mass to be determined in 90% of the cases by means of a combination of cytologic, microbiologic, and immunocytochemical procedures. Significant pathologic processes identified in these patients by means of FNA included reactive lymphoid proliferations (35%), abnormal lymphoid proliferations (12%), infections (12.5%), cystic (5.5%) and inflammatory processes (5%), nonlymphoid malignancies (4%), and salivary gland pathology (1%). We conclude that FNA is an appropriate initial diagnostic procedure in HIV positive patients presenting with mass lesions.

Over the past 6 yr, we have observed an increase in cytologic specimens from the respiratory tract in patients suspected or known to have AIDS, from 7 of 81,031 cases in 1982 to 1,231 of 55,333 in 1987. Based on our experience with 1,140 patients, this article reviews the technical and morphologic evaluation of pulmonary cytologic specimens from AIDS patients.

In the past decade, over 100,000 cases of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) have been reported in the United States. Conservative estimates suggest that 1.5 million people are infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the etiologic agent of AIDS. Major metropolitan areas, such as Los Angeles, have experienced a rapid increase in the number of AIDS cases. At the Los Angeles County-University of Southern California Medical Center, we have gained significant insight into the cytologic findings associated with HIV infection. Based on our experience, we herein review the technical and morphologic evaluation of alimentary tract cytology specimens from this patient population.