The insertion of implants and medical devices has emerged as a common and often life-saving procedure. A current estimate of the rate of total hip replacement in the world is approximately one million a year, and knee replacements more than 250000. More than 30% of hospitalized patients have one or more vascular catheters in place. More than 10% of hospitalized patients have an indwelling urina...

Infections remain the most common immediate causes of morbidity in immune compromised hosts. The abated host defences are responsible for an increased susceptibility to various uncommon and opportunistic pathogens, and to a lowered host inflammatory response. Skin lesions develop in up to a third of infections in these patients, and they possibly represent the initial step of a systemic illness...

Since the 1990s, opportunistic fungal infections have emerged as a substantial cause of morbidity and mortality in profoundly immunocompromised patients. Hypercortisolaemic patients, both those with endogenous Cushing's syndrome and, much more frequently, those receiving exogenous glucocorticoid therapy, are especially at risk of such infections. This vulnerability is attributed to the complex ...

As the HIV epidemic has matured, a substantial proportion of new infections worldwide may be occurring within stable partnerships. Within the United States, blacks are disproportionately affected by HIV disease, and the drivers of this epidemic involve behavioral and structural factors. The 17th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections highlighted new insights into drivers of HIV...

A patient was diagnosed having advanced acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) who suffered from various pulmonary and extrapulmonary infective complications. A number of opportunistic infections were diagnosed and prompt treatment was initiated. Due to his low CD4+ lymphocyte count that carries a higher morbidity and mortality, he experienced clinical worsening even with treatment and could...

Invasive fungal infections are a significant health problem in immunocompromised patients. The clinical manifestations vary and can range from colonization in allergic bronchopulmonary disease to active infection in local aetiologic agents. Many factors influence the virulence and pathogenic capacity of the microorganisms, such as enzymes including extracellular phospholipases, lipases and prot...

Cardiovascular opportunistic infections are fairly encountered in patients with HIV disease. The search on this topic was carried out electronically via peer-reviewed articles in PubMed sources, Cochrane reviews and other medically-oriented search engines. Most opportunistic infections occur when the CD4 counts fall below 200/mL. The spectrum of presentations includes pericarditis, pericardial ...