Systemic strongyloidiasis in patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus. A report of 3 cases and review of the literature.

Overview

We report 3 cases of systemic strongyloidiasis in HIV-infected individuals and review 11 additional cases reported in the English-language literature. Systemic strongloidiasis is a rare and potentially fatal complication of late-stage HIV disease. A combination of gastrointestinal and respiratory symptoms in an HIV-infected patient who has been to an endemic area should prompt the clinician to search for S. stercoralis in stool and sputum specimens. Treatment failures occur commonly, and careful follow-up is warranted. New antihelminthic drugs (such as ivermectin) seem promising and need to be evaluated in controlled studies.