Background: Transfusion-related infection is an important mode of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission. There are very few reports in the literature on transfusion-related HIV from India. Methods: Retrospective study of clinical profile of patients with transfusion related HIV infection presenting to a tertiary care hospital in South India between May 1999 to December 2011. Results: Among the 1332 records of HIV positive patients reviewed, 80 (6 %) had transfusion-related HIV infection; their mean age was 32.2 ± 12.2 years; there were 47 (58.8%) women. Sixty nine patients (86.3%) were infected with HIV-1, while 11 patients (13.8%) were infected with HIV-2 The average number of units of blood transfused was 2.8. The indications for transfusion were perioperative (n=37, 46.3%); haematologic disorders (n=15, 18.8%); trauma (n=9, 11.3%); upper gastrointestinal bleed (n=3, 3.8%); miscellaneous (n=3, 3.8%) and diagnosis not clear at the time of transfusion (n=13, 16.3%). Twenty six of the 64 patients (40.6%) had CD4+ count less than 200 cells/mm

Intracranial tuberculosis in immunocompromised patients can occasionally mimic central nervous system (CNS) neoplasms radiologically and complicate the decisions regarding management. A 42-year-old male presented with a history of fever and vomitings of 5 days duration. On evaluation he was found to be reactive for human immunodeficiency virus 1 infection with a CD4+ count of 63 cells/mm 3 and a viral load of 1,260,779 copies /mL. He was started on highly active antiretroviral therapy with tenofovir, emtricitabine, efavirenz, Pneumocystis jiroveci prophylaxis and was discharged. After 5 months he developed aggressive behaviour, irrelevant talking and memory loss. On examination, he was irritable with memory disturbances; no focal neurological signs were evident. Magnetic resonance imaging brain and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) showed a large heterogeneous enhancing ill-defined lesion in the left parietooccipital lobe with a lipid lactate peak suggestive of infective aetiology. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis showed glucose 33 mg/dL, protein 120 mg/dL, 40 cells/mm 3 (all lymphocytes), adenosine deaminase 40U/L; Gram's stain was negative, Ziehl-Neelsen stain did not reveal acid-fast bacilli, toxoplasma, cryptococcal antigen tests were negative. Polymerase chain reaction for Epstein-Barr virus was also negative. In view of the clinical setting, CSF analysis supported by MRS findings he was started on antituberculosis treatment (ATT) and corticosteroids. Patient showed remarkable improvement clinically and radiologically with significant reduction in the size of the lesion. MRS is a useful non-invasive technique that can help in differentiating tuberculoma from lymphoma.