Opportunistic Infections in HIV - Topic Overview
Opportunistic infections and diseases occur in people whose immune systems have been weakened. They usually do not occur in people who have healthy immune systems. When the immune system is weakened by a disease such as HIV infection, opportunistic diseases may cause serious, even life-threatening, illnesses.
Opportunistic infections that are common in people who have AIDS include:
Dementia is a condition that leads to the loss of intellectual abilities such as memory, judgment, and abstract thinking. It can also cause changes in personality. AIDS Dementia Complex (or ADC) is a type of dementia that occurs in advanced stages of AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). AIDS is a later stage of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) infection. ADC leads to a diverse group of symptoms that affect your ability to function in work and life. It can be fatal. Before HIV medications...
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- Pneumocystis pneumonia.
- Tuberculosis.
- Toxoplasmosis.
- Cytomegalovirus (CMV).
- Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC).
People who have AIDS are more likely to develop certain cancers, such as:
- Kaposi's sarcoma.
- Cancer of the lymphatic system (lymphoma).
- Cancer of the cervix.
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