Pulmonary Problems in Pediatric HIV infection

Pulmonary disease continued to be the most common AIDS-associated complication and the cause of morbidity and mortality among children with HIV infection in developing countries. Pneumonia, diarrhea and malnutrition were the most common causes of death both in children born to HIV-1 infected mothers and in HIV-1 infected children. Pulmonary problem has been the first manifestation of HIV-1 infection in more than half of the cases. Pulmonary manifestations of HIV infection broadly divided into infectious, noninfectious, and malignant categories. The common infectious complication were Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) , bacterial pneumonia and tuberculosis. Noninfecious complications were lymphoid interstitial pneumonia, bronchiectasis, and diffuse alveolar damage. Neoplastic pulmonary diseases common in the adult AIDS population are rare in the pediatric patient.