Clinical Manifestations of HIV infection
- AIDS is characterized by a pronounced suppression of the immune system and the development of unusual neoplasms and wide variety of severe opportunistic infections.
- The more serious symptoms in adults are often followed by diarrhea and loss of weight that can induce:
- Fatigue
- Malaise
- Weight loss
- Fever
- Shortness of breath
- Chronic diarrhea White patches on the tongue (hairy leukoplakia, oral candidiasis)
- Lymphadenopathy
- Disease symptoms in the gastrointestinal tract from the esophagus to the colon are common
- The period between primary infection with HIV and the first appearance of clinical disease is usually long in adults, averaging about 10 years.
Death occurs about 2 years later after clinical appearance of disease.