Liver biopsies in the acquired immune deficiency syndrome: influence of endemic disease and drug abuse.

A retrospective review of 48 liver biopsies in 34 patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and 10 patients with AIDS-related complex (ARC) was performed at Harlem Hospital Center to assess the diagnostic yield of liver biopsies in this distinct patient population. Among the patients, 93.2% were black and 32 were males, with a mean age of 36.7 yr. Intravenous drug abuse was a risk factor for AIDS in 81.8% of patients. Liver biopsies were particularly useful in patients with fever of unclear origin, which was positively correlated with the presence of granulomas (p = 0.01). Granulomas due to mycobacteria were present in 16 (33.3%) of the biopsies. Liver biopsy proved to be clinically significant in 14 of 17 patients (82.3%) with mycobacterial disease, or 29.3% of the liver biopsies. Chronic active hepatitis was present in 12 (29.2%) of the biopsies, and in all but one was due to non-A non-B hepatitis viruses. All patients with chronic active hepatitis were intravenous drug abusers or the sexual partners of intravenous drug abusers. Liver biopsy can provide important diagnostic information in AIDS patients. The pathological findings in this series reflect the high risk of exposure to tuberculosis and hepatitis in the intravenous drug abusers in Harlem.