AIDS differential diagnosis

Associate Editors-in-Chief: Ujjwal Rastogi, MBBS [mailto:urastogi@perfuse.org]

Overview
AIDS is an immunodeficiency disease. It should be considered in patient presenting with symptoms of immunodeficiency. AIDS should be distinguished from congenital disorders and considered in the differential diagnosis of childhood immunodeficiency.

The possibility of HIV infection should be considered on a case-by-case basis and other causes of immune suppression must be considered.

Various medical conditions that cause immunosuppression are:
 * Chemotherapy.
 * Immune disorders.
 * Severe combined immune deficiency [SCID].
 * Severe malnutrition.

Diffrentials

 * Burkitt lymphoma
 * Candidiasis
 * Coccidioidomycosis
 * Cryptococcosis
 * Cryptosporidiosis
 * Cytomegalovirus
 * Herpes Simplex
 * Lymphoma
 * Mycobacterium avium complex
 * Toxoplasmosis