Early symptomatic HIV infection
Alternate Names : AIDS-related complex - ARC, Chronic symptomatic HIV infection
Symptoms & Signs
- Diarrhea that persists
- Excessive sweating or night sweats
- Fatigue that persists
- Fever that persists
- General feeling of discomfort, illness, or lack of well-being
- Herpes zoster infections (shingles) that keep coming back
- Joint pain
- Mouth disorders
- Pain, loss of sensation, and inability to control muscles (peripheral neuropathy)
- Skin disorders
- Swollen lymph glands
- Weight loss
Diagnosis & Tests
The patient may have signs of a bleeding disorder in which there aren't enough platelets in the blood (idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura). In females, a Pap smear may reveal precancerous cells of the cervix. The HIV ELISA/Western blot will be positive for HIV antibodies. The following lab tests may be done to see how the immune system is working: The amount of HIV can be measured in the blood. This test measures the genetic material of the virus called RNA (ribonucleic acid) and is often called the “viral load”.
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