International Journal of STD & AIDS > Volume 19, Number 7 > Pp. 496-498

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Case reports

Choriocarcinoma in an AIDS patient – relapsing but not fatal

Archan M Shah MD ^* , Mark Tidswell MD ^*, Michel Prefontaine MD , Daniel J Skiest MD ^* and Liron Pantanowitz MD 

^* Department of Medicine, Baystate Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, 759 Chestnut Street – S2570, Springfield, MA 01199; Department of Gynecologic Oncology; Department of Pathology, Baystate Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, Springfield, MA, USA

Correspondence to: Dr Archan M Shah, Department of Critical Care Medicine, Baystate Medical Center, 759 Chestaut Street, Springfield, MA 01199, USA Email: shaharch{at}yahoo.com

Choriocarcinoma is associated with high mortality in immunocompromised patients, in contrast to a good prognosis in immunocompetent individuals. Respiratory failure due to metatstatic choriocarcinoma is associated with high mortality in any patient. We report a case of a woman with AIDS that survived metastatic choriocarcinoma and respiratory failure. We also observed that in contrast to some in vitro studies, the markedly elevated levels of β-subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin in this patient did not have any apparent inhibitory effect on viral replication.

Key Words: acute respiratory distress syndrome • respiratory failure • metastatic choriocarcinoma, human immunodeficiency virus

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