Rheumatic masks of human immunodeficiency virus infection
Kanevskaya M.Z.

I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University
A.K. Eramishantsev City Clinical Hospital, Moscow

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is an important medical and social challenge of the 21st century. Joint and spinal disorders developing in HIV-infected patients mimic various rheumatic syndromes. Some conditions are more common in HIV infection, i.e., HIV-associated arthritis, Reiter syndrome, psoriasis, diffuse infiltrative lymphocytosis syndrome, HIV-associated polymyositis, and other types of soft tissue disorders and joint infections. Arthralgia is the most common symptom. One-third of these patients (usually with AIDS) are diagnosed with psoriasis which is considered a factor of unfavorable outcome and a predictor of recurrent life-threatening infections (pneumocystis pneumonia). HIV-infected patients also suffer from severe psoriatic arthritis characterized by erythroderma, generalized pustular psoriasis, and polyarthritis (dominant clinical manifestation). HIV-associated psoriatic arthritis is characterized by rapid progression of joint manifestations and the correlation between skin lesions and joint damage and ineffective therapy as well. Progress in HIV treatment allows to prescribe infliximab for resistant psoriasis and Reiter syndrome. Patients with severe or resistant psoriasis should be tested for HIV. Patients with the debut of polymyositis should be examined for neoplasms and tested for HIV to exclude these conditions. 

Key words: HIV infection, rheumatic masks, arthropathy, psoriasis, Reiter syndrome, diffuse infiltrative lymphocytosis syndrome, joint infections.

For citation: Kanevskaya M.Z. Rheumatic masks of human immunodeficiency virus infection // RMJ. 2016. № 22. P. 1502–1506.