[Beyond depression: assessing personality disorders, alexithymia and socio-emotional alienation in patients with HIV infection].

HIV infection is commonly associated with emotional and cognitive disorders that recognize both causes of an organic nature (related to the virus itself) and non-organic factors (emotional stress resulting from HIV diagnosis, social stigma and continued risk behaviour such as alcohol or drug abuse). Most of the literature has focused attention on depressive disorder, the most common mental disorder in the HIV population. In our analysis we evaluated the presence of personality disorders and alexithymia in a group of patients seropositive for HIV through appropriate psychological tests.

Five-year retrospective Italian multicenter study of visceral leishmaniasis treatment.

The treatment of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is poorly standardized in Italy in spite of the existing evidence. All consecutive patients with VL admitted at 15 Italian centers as inpatients or outpatients between January 2004 and December 2008 were retrospectively considered; outcome data at 1 year after treatment were obtained for all but 1 patient. Demographic characteristics, underlying diseases, diagnostic procedures, treatment regimens and outcomes, as well as side effects were recorded.

[Abdominal tuberculosis in a young immigrant patient: a clinical case].

In developing countries, tuberculosis (TBC) is commonly associated with inadequate socio-economic and sanitary conditions. Currently, in Western countries, TBC is often linked with HIV infection, an ageing population or trans-global migration. Approximately two out of ten TB cases worldwide are extra-pulmonary, of which abdominal tuberculosis accounts for 11%-16%.

Mycobacterium xenopi pulmonary infection resulting in self-limited immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome in an HIV-1 infected patient.

Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has been shown to induce a major and durable viral load reduction accompanied by a stable CD4 increase. This process may evolve with adverse clinical phenomena, known as the immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS). In the HIV population, non-tuberculous mycobacteria are a common cause of IRIS.

Immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome associated with Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection: a systematic review.

HIV and tuberculosis (TB) are leading global causes of mortality and morbidity. Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) is often initiated in patients being treated for TB. The immune recovery associated with HAART results in dramatic clinical benefits, but this restoration of immunity may result in immunopathological reactions.

Visceral leishmaniasis in a patient with common variable immunodeficiency and evans syndrome: clinical remarks.

Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) is a vector-borne zoonosis endemic in Southern Italy whose usual clinical features include fever, splenomegaly, pancytopenia and hypergammaglobulinemia. The clinical and biochemical picture may be misleading in patients with immunodeficiency diseases hampering the diagnosis. We describe a VL case in a patient whose spleen had been removed and who had Common Variable Immunodeficiency and Evans syndrome.

Carotid artery intima-media thickness in highly treated HIV-1 patients.

The authors used ultrasonography to measure carotid artery intima-media thickness in a cohort of antiretroviral-experienced patients. Overall, 52 patients were enrolled in the study. Twenty-two patients (42.

Infected atrial myxoma: case report and literature review.

Myxoma is the most common type of cardiac tumour in all age groups. It may simulate infective endocarditis but is rarely infected. We describe one case of infected left atrial myxoma caused by Enterococcus faecalis.