A clinical and pathological comparison of the WHO and CDC case definitions for AIDS in Kinshasa, Zaïre: is passive surveillance valid?

Objectives: To compare the specificity of the World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) case definitions for AIDS in autopsy cases from Zaïre.

Setting: Mama Yemo Hospital and University Hospital morgues in Kinshasa, and Karawa Hospital in Equateur Region, Zaïre.

Methods: Autopsy cases with a clinical diagnosis of AIDS on the death certificate or chart were studied.