Aphthous Ulceration of the Gastrointestinal Tract in Patients with the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS)

Abstract

Patients with steroid-responsive, severe aphthous ulceration involving the mouth, hypopharynx, and esophagus have been described in a previous report (1). In these patients, serious morbidity resulted from the pain and dysphagia associated with the ulcers. Since the publication of this report (1), we have seen another six patients who had giant esophageal ulcers as well as colonic ulcers. In one patient, the colonic ulcers resulted in gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Biopsy specimens from the lesions did not show an underlying recognizable virus or fungus, and five patients responded rapidly to high-dose prednisone therapy. We describe some representative patients and summarize their response