Introduction

More than 12 years have passed since the initial publications documenting the onset of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic, caused by a retrovirus, the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). By November 1993, AIDS had been diagnosed in more than 750,000 patients worldwide, with reported mortality of over 50%. It is estimated that the number of HIV positive people throughout the world is between 5 and 7 million. From the outset, a wide variety of systemic manifestations, both neoplastic and non-neoplastic, have been noted in patients with AIDS. The manifestations that have benefited most from imaging modalities are those involving the central nervous system, thorax and abdomen.

Marie-France Bellin, Philippe Grenier and Nadine Martin- Duverneuil