ABSTRACT
The introduction of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in the early 1980s carried the stigmata of a debilitating, contagious disease, leading to rapid deterioration with an eventual tragic, painful demise. For most patients, it has since been transformed into a dangerous but more chronic disease. Gastrointestinal diseases were often a component of the morbidity of AIDS patients. Many of the previously published colorectal problems have since become obsolete, now replaced by new dilemmas.
To understand the current problems facing these patients, this article reviews the historical progression of the colorectal manifestations of human immunodeficiency virus and ends with a review of the current problems and controversies.
As the disease spectrum changes in the coming decades, it is incumbent on physicians to stay current with changing therapies and avoid making broad generalizations in management. As more patients present with ``undetectable'' viral loads and improved performance status, the surgical procedures once felt unthinkable and the surgical outcomes once deemed impossible will likely become more commonplace.
KEYWORD
Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome - human immunodeficiency virus infections - colorectal manifestations
