Acute HIV infection with atypical clinical and laboratory presentation: case report

Abstract

Introduction: Infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) represents, in Brazil and in the world, a public health problem: estimates show that, in 2017, 42,420 new cases of HIV were diagnosed in Brazil. Despite these high rates, it is noted that underdiagnosis is still a problem: data show that, in the United States, almost 15% of people infected with the HIV virus are unaware of this diagnosis. Objective: to report an atypical case of acute HIV infection, describing its clinical and laboratory evolution until the diagnosis was confirmed, in addition to highlighting the importance of clinical suspicion in cases where the clinical picture is uncommon and the initial serological tests are not definitive for diagnosis. Methodology: this is a clinical case study with a qualitative and descriptive perspective, which consists of a research that, in general, takes place with direct data collection, in which the researcher is the indispensable instrument. Case report: female patient, 20 years old, diagnosed with HIV. It did not manifest some of the most common main signs and symptoms, such as asthenia, pharyngitis and skin rashes, evidencing, on the other hand, phenomena related to severe liver involvement, with significant laboratory hepatitis, which is not common. Conclusion: early diagnosis and implementation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) collaborate with the achievement of favorable therapeutic results: it achieves a long viral suppression, preservation and even increase of immune functions and the conservation of a more homogeneous viral population.